September 1, 2025
The Boeing 777-200 aircraft dumped around 15,000 gallons of jet fuel atop the Cudahy area.
Delta Air Lines has agreed to a $79 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit stemming from a 2020 incident in which one of its aircraft released thousands of gallons of jet fuel over neighborhoods and schoolyards in southeast Los Angeles County.
The lawsuit dates back to Jan. 14, 2020, when a Boeing 777-200 bound for Shanghai was forced to return to Los Angeles International Airport shortly after takeoff due to engine trouble. As the plane circled back, it dumped roughly 15,000 gallons of fuel to meet landing weight requirements. The aircraft landed safely.
L.A. County firefighters responded to schools in Cudahy, where nearly 60 children and teachers were treated on-site for minor skin and lung irritation. No one required hospitalization, but teachers from Park Avenue Elementary School later filed suit.
The lawsuit disturbingly describes Delta jet fuel “drizzling down like raindrops” and “overwhelming” fumes that clung to their clothes, skin, and in their eyes. Corroborating their claims, homeowners from the same area later joined in a class-action complaint reporting similar symptoms.
In court filings, Delta explained that one of the plane’s two engines lost thrust soon after takeoff, leaving the aircraft approximately 160,000 pounds over its maximum landing weight. Landing with a full fuel load, the company noted, risks structural damage to the plane and triggers costly mandatory inspections.
“The pilots decided to dump fuel to reduce the serious risks of flying and landing an overweight airplane on just one engine,” Delta said in court documents.
The settlement, finalized Monday, resolves claims of physical and emotional harm brought by affected residents and teachers. Delta emphasized that the agreement does not constitute an admission of liability, stating the payout was meant “to avoid the legal expenses of a trial and to eliminate the distraction and other burdens this litigation has caused to Delta’s business.”
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