Welsh Worried About Pilots Passing Out

Aircraft flying over Wales, England could spiral out of control because its pilots are being poisoned in flight by toxic fumes, reports Wales on Sunday. That is the shocking warning from one former airline pilot who had to give up his $103,000-a-year job after years of being exposed to the deadly gasses. The issue came up when a former airlines pilot gave up his job flying after being exposed to fumes after years in the cockpit.

John Hoyte, chairman of the Aerotoxic Association, said that aircraft crew could pass out and endanger flights. He told the Wales paper on Sunday: "Pilots can be knocked out by the fumes and in that situation there's every chance a plane could crash. Cardiff or any other city could be taken out."

"Many times we've seen pilots become completely incapacitated and completely unable to fly the aircraft. If you get two pilots knocked out at the same time you've got a real, real problem. Almost certainly accidents can be caused by it."

Hoyte says insistantly thousands of commercial airline pilots are being exposed to deadly gases because of poor fuel lines in jets. Symptoms of poisoning include drowsiness, memory loss and dizziness, for both pilots and passengers. Experts say the condition - known as Aerotoxic Syndrome - also hits around 200,000 passengers every year.

"Several Welsh airline pilots who had been forced out of their jobs after inhaling toxic gases because they were left unable to fly planes safely," Hoyte said. Some jets are worse that others, he claimed.

"This can affect any pilot, but certain planes have a worse reputation. The worst offenders are the BAE146 and the Boeing 757," said Hoyte. ANN also reported on the BAE Nimrod fuel leaks.

The problem, called a 'fume event,' takes place when air entering the plane's engines becomes contaminated with toxic chemicals used in engine oil, according to the Wales story. The chemicals then get mixed up with the cabin's oxygen supply and poisonous air is pumped into the aircraft. Critics say nothing is being done because it would cost billions to re-design the engine air intakes.

Military police, unions, scientists and retired pilots are now demanding a public inquiry. The toxic smell is compared to "Sweaty feet or old tennis shoes," according to a report in the Aerotoxic Syndrome written by Welsh doctor Sarah Myhill.

"Some of the cabin crew have commented that when they noticed this smell they would walk up and down the aircraft trying to see if one of the passengers had their shoes off," Myhill from Knighton.

Myhill's report warns that because Aerotoxic Syndrome is not classified as a disease, it is difficult to get any medical help.

"You can expect your doctor to do a series of blood tests and tell you there is nothing abnormal and therefore nothing wrong," she says.

Other symptoms caused by the syndrome include chest pains, shortness of breath, muscle twitching or cramp and sweating. Earlier this week, low-cost airline Flybe - which operates 50 flights to and from Cardiff International Airport every week - had to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Birmingham on a flight to Stuttgart because toxic fumes began leaking into the cabin.

It was the third time this year that fumes have leaked into their cabins. Crew from the same airline refused to fly because of fears they would inhale the toxic chemicals, according to airline officials.

"We take any evidence of health risk to pilots and cabin crew very seriously and continue to work closely with the Department for Transport's Aviation Health Working Group on this further research," a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority said.

"The CAA will continue to closely monitor any reports of contaminated cabin air on UK registered aircraft and will ensure existing measures to maintain flight safety are strictly enforced."

FMI: www.flybe.com, www.aerotoxic.org/