The Tip of the Iceberg: Some Recent Aircraft Cabin Fume Events

There is strong evidence that a certain percentage of people experience acute symptoms as a consequence of fume events. Very often pilots and/or cabin crew members become incapacitated, but also passengers can be affected and are rushed to hospitals for emergency treatments.

THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG: SOME RECENT AIRCRAFT CABIN FUME EVENTS
Pilot incapacitation? No - also Cabin Crew and Passengers fall ill
by BEARNAIRDINE BEAUMONT, 11 July 2023
and Guest Writer Trudie Dadd - both are former, medically retired Cabin Crew.

Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash

Regularly, without the public noticing, so-called “odors” or “smoke” on board aircraft worldwide cause pilots to declare a Pan Pan or even Mayday. Some make an emergency landing and are received by ambulances after landing. Very often pilots and/or cabin crew members become incapacitated, but also passengers can be affected and are rushed to hospitals for emergency treatments. There is strong evidence that a certain percentage of people experience acute symptoms as a consequence of fume events.

Many chemicals found in aircraft oil and their fumes are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) and can cause mitochondrial dysfunction which means that exposure to these chemicals, particularly as mixtures can cause, even at low levels irreparable harm to health.* The effects of repeated exposures are known to be cumulative.

You can view a collection of actually reported smoke/ odor/ fumes here for MAY 2023 and here for JUNE 2023. The following examples are the first from July 1st.

Underreporting is well-known, so there could be many more.

01 July 2023: “ANA Wings -Incident: ANA Wings DH8D near Miyazaki on Jul 1st, 2023, smoke in the cabin. Priority requested on approach to Miyazaki”:© source: http://avherald.com/h?article=50b2a0c8&opt=0

01 July 2023: “Delta Two pilots and four flight attendants from Delta Airlines reported feeling sick Saturday as they were preparing to depart from Los Angeles International Airport.” © source: https://abc7.com/amp/lax-illness-odor-airline-crew/13454141/

The CAA states on Fume Events: ‘There is strong evidence that some people experience acute symptoms as a consequence of fume events. Some of the chemical contaminants that are present during such events are irritants and may cause itching or soreness of the eyes, nasal discharge, sore throat, or coughing. In other cases, there may be a psychologically mediated nocebo response (see note) triggered by awareness of irritation or an odor. From the research that has been done to date on the chemicals that may be present in contaminated air, the concentrations at which they are present, and the reported patterns of symptoms in affected individuals, non-irritant toxic mechanisms for the acute health effects seem unlikely.’ (source):https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/before-you-fly/am-i-fit-to-fly/guidance-for-health-professionals/aircraft-fume-events/

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https://bee572.substack.com/p/the-tip-of-the-iceberg-some-recent