Delta Air Lines agrees to pay $79M settlement after dumping fuel over LA, OC neighborhoods

LOS ANGELES - Delta Air Lines reached a nearly $79 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit over a 2020 fuel dump that doused tens of thousands of properties, including homes and schools, in Los Angeles and Orange counties, according to court papers.

Delta has denied wrongdoing in the incident.

What we know:

The settlement, which is awaiting a judge's approval in LA federal court, will be distributed among 38,000 property owners and residents, attorneys said.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 15 in downtown Los Angeles before U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt.

The case stemmed from a January 2020 incident in which a Delta flight to Shanghai from Los Angeles International Airport lost thrust shortly after takeoff. The pilots jettisoned about 15,000 pounds of jet fuel from the Boeing 777 before returning to LAX.

A Federal Aviation Administration investigation later cleared the pilots of wrongdoing, according to Delta.

Property owners argued that the pilots needlessly dumped fuel at a low altitude over densely populated areas, instead of dumping it over the Pacific Ocean or at a high altitude so it would dissipate, or by burning fuel by flying in a holding pattern.

What they're saying:

Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis issued a statement calling the settlement "a long-overdue acknowledgment of the harm inflicted on working families, schoolchildren, and educators in Bell, Cudahy, and surrounding Southeast Los Angeles communities."

"What happened that day was nothing short of an environmental injustice," she said. "Jet fuel was dumped without warning over neighborhoods already overburdened by chronic air pollution, heavy industry, and decades of environmental neglect. This was the result of poor judgment and disregard for the health and safety of communities that have historically been treated as expendable."

During the incident, jet fuel "rained down on playgrounds, schoolyards, and homes," Solis said.

"Children were burned. Teachers were forced to care for students in crisis with no notice and no protective equipment. Families were left to navigate the aftermath with few answers and no accountability. ... We must ensure this never happens again."