Delta Air Lines Settles Fuel Dump Lawsuit for $79 Million
Delta Air Lines will pay $79 million to settle a 2020 class-action lawsuit after a jetliner dumped fuel over Los Angeles schoolyards due to engine trouble, affecting students and teachers.
Overview
- Delta Air Lines has agreed to pay $79 million to settle a class-action lawsuit initiated in 2020 concerning a jetliner fuel dumping incident.
- The incident occurred when a Delta jetliner, experiencing engine trouble shortly after takeoff, dumped fuel over schoolyards in Los Angeles.
- This fuel dumping was a safety measure to reduce the risks of flying and landing an overweight aircraft, a procedure for emergencies.
- Following the incident, approximately 60 schoolchildren and teachers were examined for minor skin and lung irritations from the fuel exposure.
- Delta settled the class-action claims for $79 million without admitting any liability or guilt, bringing the legal proceedings to a close.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by emphasizing the negative impact of Delta's fuel dump on schoolchildren and densely populated areas. They highlight the human cost and the subsequent legal action, creating a narrative that focuses on the airline's responsibility for the incident's adverse effects, despite including Delta's technical justifications.
"Delta Air Lines has agreed to pay $79 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed in 2020 after one of its airplanes that was experiencing engine trouble dumped its fuel over schoolyards and densely populated neighborhoods near Los Angeles."
Fortune"Delta Air Lines has agreed to pay $79 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed in 2020 after one of its airplanes that was experiencing engine trouble dumped its fuel over schoolyards and densely populated neighborhoods near Los Angeles."
ABC NewsArticles (3)
FAQ
Delta pilots dumped fuel because the Boeing 777 experienced engine trouble shortly after takeoff and was over its maximum landing weight by about 160,000 pounds. Dumping fuel was a safety measure to reduce the aircraft's weight for a safer landing.
Approximately 60 students and teachers were examined for minor skin and lung irritations following the fuel exposure. Independent tests later found no detectable level of jet fuel contamination on affected properties.
Delta agreed to pay about $79 million to settle the class-action lawsuit, which after attorneys' fees and costs will amount to approximately $50 million disbursed to residents and property owners affected. Property owners will receive larger payouts per claim compared to residents.
No, Delta agreed to the settlement without admitting any liability, aiming to avoid the cost and distraction of prolonged litigation.
Yes, plaintiffs alleged that Delta violated federal procedures which require fuel dumps to occur at higher altitudes or over unpopulated areas to allow the fuel to disperse safely. They claimed Delta prioritized cost savings over the wellbeing of those on the ground by dumping fuel over densely populated neighborhoods.
History
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