Why did a Delta plane dump jet fuel over Los Angeles schools?

Jet fuel rained down from the sky in Los Angeles on Tuesday when an airplane making an emergency landing dumped its fuel over schools, playgrounds and homes. Emergency medical workers treated about 60 adults and children for minor injuries such as skin irritation and breathing problems at six schools, though all of the patients declined to be transported to a hospital. The plane, Delta Flight 89, was carrying 167 people and enough fuel to reach its intended destination of Shanghai when it experienced engine trouble shortly after taking off from Los Angeles International Airport, a Delta spokeswoman said. The pilot quickly sought to return the jet, a Boeing 777-200, to the runway. The FAA is investigating the fuel dump, which fell over at least a five-mile swath of the Los Angeles area, including on a school playground where children were playing, officials said. The episode raised questions about why the plane would be emptying its tanks over a populated area. Story provides some answers.<br/>