Delta Air Lines has been sued by four teachers at a Los Angeles school that was doused by fuel that was dumped from one of the airline’s planes that was making an emergency return to Los Angeles International Airport, from where it had just departed on the way to Shanghai, China.
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The plane had recently departed from LAX when the pilot had to turn back to the airport. The fuel was dumped from an altitude of approximately 2,000 feet, landing on several schools. Per the lawsuit, the pilot “was specifically asked by air traffic control if the plane would need to dump fuel, to which he replied, “We’ve got it under control”. The pilot dropped fuel at around 2,000 feet, hitting several schools in its path.
The suit was filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. “Without any true necessity, the Delta pilot of Flight 89 caused the plane to release what are believed to be thousands of pounds of fuel per second over the city of Cudahy, California, and areas under its flight path,” said the attorney representing the teacher, Gloria Allred, during a news conference this past Friday. “At the time, Flight 89 was flying so low that the fuel it was releasing did not have time to evaporate or dissipate before hitting the ground below.”
The lawsuit also states the damage that can come from exposure to jet fuel as shown by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, including liver damage, decreased immune response, impaired performance on neurological function tests and impaired hearing.
One teacher recounted the aftermath of the incident as she cried. “All I could think of was making sure my students were safe and to calm their fears, as they were scared and crying,” she said. “Soon after, my head began to hurt and I started feeling nauseous. I couldn’t smell anything other than gas. I couldn’t taste anything other than gas.”
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the matter.
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References: LA Times, CBS, NBC
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