The maneuver is rare and spectacular. But it can also be dangerous and therefore obeys a specific procedure. A struggling Boeing of the American company Delta Air Lines dumped its fuel over the suburbs of Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 14, slightly affecting children and adults who were in the courtyard of an elementary school.
Delta flight 89, a Boeing 777 bound for Shanghai (China) "Suffered engine problems" Shortly after takeoff, forcing the plane to return to Los Angeles airport, a Delta Air Lines spokesperson told Agence France-Presse (AFP). The aircraft landed without damage around noon local time, but had previously dropped fuel "As provided for in normal procedure" to lighten up for a possible emergency landing, said the spokesman.
The fuel fell on an elementary school in Cudahy, 25 km east of the airport. Twenty children and eleven adults complaining of skin irritation or respiratory discomfort were treated on the spot by the emergency services but "No hospitalization was necessary", said the firefighters, confirming that the substance in question was indeed aircraft fuel.
The Los Angeles school district said the students and school staff were in the yard at the time of the incident. They "May have been sprayed with fuel or inhaled fumes", he wrote in a statement, adding that he immediately called for help.
Investigation opened by the US civil aviation agency
The American agency responsible for controlling civil aviation, the FAA, announced on Twitter that it had opened an investigation into the accident, recalling that“There are specific procedures for dropping fuel for aircraft departing from or going to all major US airports. "
"These procedures require that the fuel be dropped over well identified uninhabited areas, usually at high altitudes so that the fuel vaporizes and disperses before touching the ground", underlines the agency.
Fuel, dropped "At relatively low altitude" firefighters also came across another school in southern Los Angeles, apparently with no significant impact on the health of students or staff.
