Richard Westgate worked as a pilot for British Airways. Picture: Facebook/RIP Richard Westgate Source: Facebook
A CORONER has released a report warning of the dangers of toxic fumes in plane cabins following an investigation into the death of a British Airways pilot.
Sheriff Stanhope Payne, the Senior Coroner for Dorset in the UK, has raised serious concerns for cabin crew and passengers that are regularly exposed to plane fumes, warning of “consequential damage to their health.”
It follows the death in December 2012 of British Airways copilot Richard Westgate, 43, who had complained for years of severe headaches, insomnia, vision problems and confusion. He had been convinced he was being poisoned by toxic fumes leaking onto planes and had asked his lawyers to begin legal action against the airline for “breaching health and safety guidelines” before his death.
Mr Payne said that examinations of Mr Westgate’s body “disclosed symptoms consistent with exposure to organophosphate compounds in aircraft cabin air”. His report has been sent to British Airways and the (UK) Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) listing five serious matters of concern he believes need to be addressed to prevent future deaths.
Cabin crew and frequent flyers are at risk of contamination from toxic air fumes. Source: Getty Images
The issues include:
• That organophosphate compounds are present in aircraft cabin air.
• That the occupants of aircraft cabins are exposed to organophosphate compounds with consequential damage to their health.
• That impairment to the health of those controlling aircraft may lead to the death of occupants.
• There is no real time monitoring to detect such compounds in cabin air.
• That no account is taken of genetic variation in the human species, such as would render individuals tolerant or intolerant of the exposure.
Toxic fumes get inside the plane when cabin air is drawn in from the aircraft’s engines or auxiliary power unit — with the exception of the newer Boeing 787 model — using the engine’s compressors. This “bleed air” heats the air inside, and pressurises the cabin altitude.
However, engine seals leak over time or fail, allowing heated oil mist to escape into the bleed air.
The issue of toxic fumes on planes has been well researched but divided many in the aviation industry. John Leahy, Chief Operation Officer of Airbus told customers at the 2014 Farnborough air show that the whole issue of contaminated air was “absurd.”
The problem is that there is currently no on-board system to monitor aircraft cabin air contamination making it difficult to establish a casual link.
Cabin air is drawn in through the aircraft’s engine but leaking engine seals threaten the safety of those on-board. Source: Getty Images
Mr Westgate’s lawyer, Frank Cannon of Cannons Law Practice, who is acting on behalf of his family as well as 50 other clients says the lack of monitoring comes down to profitability.
“Permanent ‘hardwired’ monitoring or detection, without concurrent filtration, will, no doubt, result in the constant grounding of certain aircraft. I suspect that is the main reason why the industry has never shown any enthusiasm for detection systems.”
The aviation industry have argued that toxic contamination is well below minimum safety levels meaning illness cannot be attributed to toxic fumes.
However Cannon says that minimum safety levels are a fallacy with no known scientific bases.
“Real neurotoxic injury is caused by long-term low-level exposure. When a plane lands, the passengers get off, but the crew turn around and do the same thing all over again, day in day out.”
Crew members face daily contamination by toxic fumes and genetic makeup is a contributor. Source: Getty Images
The other issues is also genetic variability between people.
“Some people have a DNA coding that means they lack the necessary enzymes to detoxify properly or at all. The rule emerges that if you are unable to detoxify between flights at a rate which is equal to or greater than the rate at which you are re-intoxicated by repetitive, successive and cumulative exposures, you will become extremely unwell.”
Dr. Susan Michaelis, Head of Research for the Global Cabin Air Quality Executive said: “The industry was warned of the health risks of exposing crews and passengers to contaminated air as far back as 1954. Its only with the smoking ban in the late 1980s that the public finally realised the air they were inhaling could be contaminated. The serious Matters of Concern raised by the Senior Coroner for Dorset show that no crew member or passenger should ever be exposed to contaminated air, especially when the industry has an alternative solution flying on the Boeing 787.”
Coroner Payne has demanded that British Airways and the CAA respond to the report within eight weeks, setting out the action they propose to take. The report, made under regulation 28 of the Coroners’ Investigation Regulations 2013, is not a full verdict from an inquest, which has yet to be held in this case.
Originally published as Is flying secretly killing you?