A Boeing 777, of the American company Delta Air Lines, 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 AFP.
The aircraft landed without damage around noon but had previously dropped fuel “As provided for in normal procedure” to lighten up for a possible emergency landing, said the spokesman.
Irritated skin and respiratory discomfort
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 difficulty in breathing were treated on the spot by the emergency services, but “no hospitalization was not 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 said in a statement, adding that he immediately called for help.
Fuel, dropped “at relatively low altitude“According to the firefighters, also came across another school in southern Los Angeles, apparently with no significant impact on the health of students or staff.
An open investigation
The American agency responsible for controlling civil aviation, the FAA, announced on Twitter that it has opened an investigation into this accident, recalling that “there are specific procedures concerning the dropping of fuel for aircraft departing or arriving from all the major American airports. “
“These procedures require fuel is dropped over uninhabited areas well identified, usually at high altitudes so that the fuel vaporizes and disperses before it hits the ground, “the agency said.
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