“The airlines and the manufacturers want you to believe ‘fume events’ are no big deal, but toxic air in my workplace made me dangerously sick. Instead of addressing a real hazard, the industry gaslights passengers and aviation workers.”
Cher Taylor, AFA Frontier MEC Government Affairs Chair
Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA)
“Most aircraft are designed and operated to circulate cabin air through the aircraft engine. Engine oil and hydraulic fluid fumes can contaminate the ventilation air supplied to the cabin and flight deck. There are other aircraft air quality concerns, such as the cabin being too hot or too cold/drafty, stagnant ventilation zones, exposure to deicing fluid fumes, ozone gas, fuel fumes, and exhaust. But oil and hydraulic fluid fumes are especially toxic.
When oil or hydraulic fluid contaminates the air supply system, you will notice an unpleasant and unusual smell (“fumes”). Oil fumes are often described as smelling like “dirty socks,” or as being musty, moldy, or foul. Hydraulic fluid fumes often have a distinctive acrid odor. Both types of fumes can contain carbon monoxide gas. Exposure to carbon monoxide – especially inflight where the air contains less oxygen than on the ground – can cause acute symptoms like dizziness/fainting, headache, and slowed thought processes.”
“I’ve updated my checklist: ‘Turn on CO detector’ is now before ‘engine start,’ and the detector is mounted in my primary field of view, with a second as backup. My grandchildren, in flight training, will soon receive their own CO detectors as Christmas gifts…”
“In confidential reports submitted to NASA, flight crews describe being overwhelmed by noxious fumes — struggling to stay conscious, land planes safely, or simply breathe — part of a larger body of evidence suggesting that contaminated cabin air is a recurring threat. While some recover from fume exposure in a few days, others have reported that they were left with severe and lasting health problems that ended their careers. Precisely how often these incidents happen is unclear.”
Now, following years of suffering in silence, Baird and Weiss joined Penny Hill — the widow of Capt. Dave Hill, who took his own life in 2016 — to speak with The Charlotte Observer about their respective ordeals. They allege that their exposure to toxic fumes in the cabin on that January day triggered the crew members’ downward turns and demises, even if the claims are challenging to prove. And they’re angry at an airline industry they feel has done little over the past 15 years to improve measures that could protect crew and passengers alike from these so-called “fume events,” which although rarely as severe as theirs still carry health risks. “We just want people to be aware. To stop it from happening,” Baird says. “Because it ruined my life. It ruined all of our lives.”
“The WSJ spoke to Robert Kaniecki, a neurologist who has treated dozens of pilots and over 100 flight attendants in the last 20 years for brain injuries related to fume exposure. The doctor, who also acts as a consultant to the Pittsburgh Steelers, compared the effects on the brain to a chemical concussion and found the effects “extraordinarily similar” to those experienced by NFL linebackers after taking a big hit.
The report went on to allege that aircraft manufacturers and airlines have downplayed health risks, lobbied against the adoption of certain safety measures, and made harmful cost-cutting changes.”
Aircraft engine oil and hydraulic fluid can degrade at temperatures above 300 °C, and generate CO when in contact with hot metal surfaces.
The most common signs and symptoms of chronic carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication are nonspecific and include headache, dizziness, lethargy, cognitive impairment, and confusion.
In at least 129 of 888 (14.5%) flights, CO levels were ranging from 13-60 ppm.
Guidelines for CO-exposure limits established at sea level may not be suitable for aviation circumstances.
An occupational exposure limit of 5 ppm (8 hr TWA) for aircrew is recommended.
“Flying his Mooney, Dan Bass was overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning and lost consciousness while airborne. He recounts the dreadful accident and his miraculous survival waking up in a snow-covered field in the bitter February cold.”
“We have accident experience that shows that carbon monoxide leaks happen and that they bring down airplanes…the FAA has refused to require (CO) detectors, only recommending them…(their)position is that regular maintenance and inspections would catch any carbon monoxide leaks…”
“Federal investigators say carbon monoxide was likely to blame for a fatal airplane crash last year in Pittsylvania County.
The Federal Aviation Administration this weekend released their final report on the February 1, 2022 crash east of Danville. It concludes the pilot was impaired due to carbon monoxide that came into the cockpit from undetected engine exhaust.
Investigator in Charge Lynn Spencer says the pilot, who was not identified in the report, shut down an engine after takeoff. There was no evidence that the engine had failed, which would have necessitated a shutdown.”
“We know that pilots have to consider the significant safety benefits offered by flying with an active [carbon monoxide] detector… It could not only save their life, but also their passengers’ as well.”
“A final ATSB report on the crash of the Beaver floatplane revealed how several pre-existing cracks in the aircraft engine’s exhaust collector ring released exhaust gas into the engine/accessory bay. This then likely entered the cabin through holes in the main firewall where three bolts were missing.”
“Lawmakers cited a Los Angeles Times investigation that found that dangerous vapors contaminate the air supply on planes with alarming frequency, sometimes sickening passengers and crew and incapacitating pilots during flights. Over a two-year period, nearly 400 pilots, flight attendants and passengers reported receiving medical attention after these “fume events,” and four dozen pilots were described as impaired to the point of being unable to perform their duties, The Times found.”
“…it appears that police and the ATSB wrongly assumed a chemical byproduct of carbon monoxide was routinely checked for in toxicology screening. Blood samples retained from the autopsies were examined, revealing all passengers had the chemical, carboxyhaemoglobin, in their systems.”
“…(pilot) became incoherent, incapacitated and subsequently passed out while attempting to control the temperature in the N102NS aircraft as a result of carbon monoxide and/or organophosphates being present in the cockpit…”
“A small plane that had just taken off from Bellingham International Airport made an emergency return after an onboard alarm sounded Tuesday evening.
Airport and Bellingham Fire Department crews called shortly before 7 p.m. March 8 for an aircraft emergency standby, according to the PulsePoint app.
The call came after a pilot of a Cessna 172 airplane that had recently departed Runway 34 at the airport requested an emergency return at approximately 6:48 p.m., Port of Bellingham Director of Aviation Sunil Harman told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
The request was made after an onboard carbon monoxide alarm sounded, Harman reported, and the pilot was the only person on board at the time. The aircraft was cleared to land, according to Harman, which it did safely and parked.
No other flight operations at the airport were impacted.
“The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that it identified 31 accidents since 1982 involving carbon monoxide poisoning, including 23 fatal crashes that killed 42 people and seriously injured four others.”
“A Frontier Airlines flight from Las Vegas to San Antonio was forced to make an emergency landing at El Paso International Airport on Thursday due to a carbon monoxide leak.”
“Valid evidence exists from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that CO poisoning is a risk to flight crew and passengers of piston powered aircraft. First there are numerous accident reports, both fatal and non-fatal…”
Australia – “The crash investigator recommended that the Australian safety regulator mandate carbon monoxide detectors in all piston-engine planes that alert pilots through an alarm or flashing lights. The investigator noted that no other country has mandated such devices.”
“Airlines have been asking Boeing to install air sensors for years. But the company decided against developing the technology. Senior Boeing engineers worried that data from sensors would prove damaging in lawsuits by sick passengers and crew members, according to internal emails and sworn depositions obtained by The Times.
An internal Boeing memo described it as a “risk” to give air sensors to even one airline, according to a deposition of a Boeing executive.”
“For general aviation pilots, carbon monoxide exposure poses a particularly concerning threat because impairing levels can build quickly in an enclosed cabin, and even nonfatal levels can lead to tragic consequences in flight.”
“The primary mechanism for the prevention of carbon monoxide exposure to aircraft occupants is to carry out regular inspections of piston-engine exhaust systems to identify and repair holes and cracks, and to detect breaches in the firewall between the engine compartment and the cabin.”
Sydney, Australia – “The ATSB considers the levels of carbon monoxide were likely to have adversely affected the pilot’s ability to control the aircraft…”
“As cold winter temperatures arrive, you’ll probably use your airplane’s heater extensively. Here’s how cracks in your muffler could cause in-flight carbon monoxide poisoning, and what you can do to avoid it…”
“Most pilots are aware that carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas contained in exhaust fumes. It is also a common by-product of chemical reactions which can occur upon heating of many petroleum products and silicone-based synthetic lubricants used as aircraft oils and hydraulic fluids.
The carbon monoxide level in blood is measured through a specific blood-gas method and is reported as a percentage. The normal level of carbon monoxide produced by the body’s metabolism is from 0.4-0.7%, but heavy smokers can have much higher levels. Elevated levels of carbon monoxide in the bloodstream can create the effects of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency). Here is one air carrier crew’s experience with CO:
An electrical/hot plastic smell was noticed in the cabin, and the Flight Attendants reported feeling ill. Maintenance could not find any source of the odor. We started boarding passengers, but boarding was suspended when the odor returned. The Flight Attendants later went to the hospital…they had carbon monoxide levels of [up to] 1.2 [%]. Later that evening, the First Officer and I were tested for carbon monoxide and had levels of 0.5 [%] and 0.6 [%].
Several hydraulic leaks were discovered in the engine thrust reversers and in the tail cone. The APU was contaminated with hydraulic fluid as well as the air conditioning system.
Headaches and nausea were the symptoms reported by another crew who suspected carbon monoxide exposure.
After climb we noticed an unusual, faint odor in the cockpit. We tried to determine what the source of the odor might be. In the logbook, we found a previous write-up of an undetermined “ozone” smell in the aircraft. There were also two previous write-ups in reference to unexplained smoke detector activation in the lavatories.
The First Officer said he was not feeling well. I was also slightly nauseated, had a headache, and was extremely fatigued. Both Flight Attendants also complained of the same symptoms. After arrival, we all agreed we should seek medical attention. It was 3-1/2 hours after the flight arrived that we had blood drawn. The [carbon monoxide levels] ranged from 2.3 [%] to 2.5 [%]. I am aware that these values are above normal. I wonder what the values might have been if the tests were taken just after we landed.
The source of the odors was not identified, but carbon monoxide probably caused the crew’s symptoms. More information about hypoxia and carbon monoxide can be found in the Aeronautical Information Manual–Medical Facts for Pilots, Section 1, Para. 8-1-2 and 8-1-4.
Handy Detectors
A General Aviation pilot, thwarted by closed airport restaurants, initially thought that his nausea and dizziness during flight were due to skipping breakfast.
I remember not being able to find my approach plates, even though they were on the floor beside me. I tried three times to set my destination into the GPS. I was confused as to what to do and panic began to set in. Fortunately, I was able to acquire the airport and complete the approach visually. Upon landing, I discovered that my carbon monoxide detector was jet black! I now suspect my disorientation was a result of carbon monoxide exposure.
Aviation supply shops have no “missing breakfast detector” available at any price. However, small, lightweight carbon monoxide detectors are available…”
Lacefield, Delbert J. ; Roberts, Patricia A. ; Grape, Paula M.
Author Organization(s):
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON DC OFFICE OF AVIATION MEDICINE
Abstract:
Results from the toxicological study of samples from 4,072 pilots killed in general aviation accidents have revealed that carbon monoxide has been the cause of incapacitation in 21 0.5 percent of the cases. Two cases are presented that are typical of accidents caused by incapacitation from carbon monoxide, in that no cause was determined until after toxicological examination of the victims was made. Since no suitable system is available to warn pilots of elevated carbon monoxide levels in the cabin, education of pilots should be undertaken to make them aware of the hazards of exposure to and symptoms produced by this highly toxic gas.
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