FAA looks into Delta fuel dump

A Delta Airlines jet making an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport dumped fuel on the playground of an elementary school in the flight path on Tuesday, inflicting minor injuries on 17 children and nine adults, local and federal authorities said.

All of the injuries at Park Avenue Elementary School in suburban Cudahy were said to be minor and none of the victims needed hospitalization, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said on Twitter.

“Shortly after takeoff, Flight 89 from LAX to Shanghai experienced an engine issue requiring the aircraft to return quickly to LAX. The aircraft landed safely after a release of fuel, which was required as part of normal procedure to reach a safe landing weight,” Delta said in a written statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a separate statement that it was “thoroughly investigating the circumstances” behind the incident and suggested the flight may not have followed fuel-dumping rules.

The fire department said it had confirmed that jet fuel was the substance dropped on the school’s playground while students were at recess and that 70 firefighters were on the scene treating the injured. Other students had been evacuated, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s spokeswoman said.

The mayor of Cudahy, Elizabeth Alcantar, said that the city had opened an emergency response center and would conduct a “town hall” meeting to provide more information.