A Delta Air Lines plane dumped jet fuel over a number of schools in Los Angeles on Wednesday, but apparently the pilots didn’t seek permission to release the fuel.
What’s going on: The Delta Flight 89 crew did not tell air traffic control that it needed to dump the fuel off its plane, CNN reports.
- The Federal Aviation Administration told CNN that air crews will tell air traffic control about emergency landings and explain whether they intend to dump fuel.
- FAA, in a statement to CNN: “A review of yesterday’s air traffic control communications shows the Delta Flight 89 crew did not tell air traffic control that they needed to dump fuel.”
- The FAA said the flight didn’t release the fuel at the preferred altitude so it would disappear on its own, according to CNN.
- Fuel dumps are normally made at 10,000 feet, according to the New York Post. Normally, airlines will drop them over a body of water. The FAA allows for dumps at least 2,00 feet above ground, though.
Context: The Delta airliner dumped fuel over six Los Angeles schools — five of which were elementary schools and one of which was a high school, as reported by the Deseret News. Students at the school reported minor injuries from the fuel.
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Authorities reviewed the schools to make sure there were not hazardous materials that could be ignited by the fuel.