The legal fallout from a Delta 777’s fuel dump over parts of Los Angeles last week has begun to pile up and the FAA has promised to “thoroughly investigate” the incident. The aircraft took off from LAX for Shanghai just before noon last Tuesday and on the tower tape the crew accepted a “high speed climb” going through 6,000 feet. They then reported a compressor stall on the right engine and declared an emergency, asking for an immediate return to the airport. For at least part of the six-minute flight the crew opened dump valves on both wings of the widebody and showered a swath of L.A. with Jet A. Among those hit by the fuel were students and staff of an elementary school that was directly under the final approach path, and four teachers have launched lawsuits against the airline. California’s powerful air quality regulators have also served a formal notice of violation against the airline.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/first-suits-launched-in-delta-fuel-dump