This archive report was first published on 15 January 2020.
On January 14, 2020, a dramatic incident unfolded in Los Angeles when a Delta Airplane, Flight 89, dumped jet fuel on three schools in and around the city, leaving 42 people, including 17 children, with minor injuries.
According to Heath Montgomery, a spokesman for Los Angeles International Airport, the plane's pilot declared an emergency shortly after takeoff due to a mechanical issue on board. The Boeing 777-200 had taken off at 11:32 a.m. and was bound for Shanghai, but it returned to the tarmac 15 minutes after takeoff.
Firefighters responded to complaints from Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy, Calif., and 93rd Street Elementary School and David Starr Jordan High School in Los Angeles. Students and adults at the school in Cudahy, which is in southeast Los Angeles County, had complained of skin irritation and were decontaminated by emergency medical workers.
Sean Ferguson, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, stated that 17 children and nine adults were treated at the elementary school. An additional 16 patients were identified at other schools, but all patients declined to be transported to a hospital.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that planes are supposed to release fuel over 'designated unpopulated areas, typically at higher altitudes so the fuel atomizes and disperses before it reaches the ground.' The agency is investigating the incident.
Adrian Gee, a spokeswoman for Delta, explained that the flight had experienced an issue with its engine and had dumped the fuel 'to reach a safe landing weight.' Airline officials 'share concerns regarding reported minor injuries to adults and children,' Ms. Gee said.
