Coroner Identifies Dangerous Toxins in the Cabin as Cause of Pilot’s Death, Calls on CAA & British Airways to Act
Joe Cortez February 23, 2015
A coroner is urging British Airways and the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority to address the issue of air contamination in the cabin after discovering that it may have led to a pilot’s death.
A British coroner is asking the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and British Airways to consider the threat of air contamination inside aircraft cabins. FlightGlobal reports the Senior Coroner of the County of Dorset, Sheriff Payne, has given both groups until April 13 to respond to his request for a plan to reduce in-cabin toxin exposure.
Payne’s concern stems from the death of Richard Westgate, a British Airways pilot who died in 2010 at the age of 43. In a report sent to the CAA and British Airways, Payne stated that the pilot’s body “disclosed symptoms consistent with exposure to organophosphate compounds in the aircraft cabin air.”
The toxins, Payne explains, may have come from “bleed air” — warm, compressed air that’s taken from engines, circulated through ventilation systems and used to pressurize cabins on most commercial aircraft. FlightGlobal reports that the only modern commercial aircraft not using “bleed air” in pressurization or ventilation systems is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Payne listed several concerns in his report to the CAA and British Airways. The presence of the toxins and the fact that there are no current systems in place to detect the level of toxins in the air were among some of the coroner’s concerns. He has requested both groups to respond to his report with either a plan of action aimed at reducing toxins in the cabin, or valid justification for why there is no need for such action.
“In my opinion urgent action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your [organizations have] the power to take such action,” read a portion of Payne’s report.
British Airways, responding to Payne’s report, told FlightGlobal: “We will respond to the coroner in due course. It would be inappropriate to comment further while proceedings are continuing.”
The CAA has not commented Payne’s report.
[Photo: iStock]
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The OP is Tri-Crysl-Phosphate is a lubricant used in jet engines (and a neuro-toxin). The oil is ingested via the 'Bleed air' (worn or broken seals) or over filling of the oil reservoir which then get drawn in to the cabin air system which then distributes the across the aircraft. All Commercial jet aircraft are affected by this except the Boeing 787 Dreamliner as it uses separate compressors rather than Bleed Air. Interestingly Boeing have settled a claim against them by a flight attendant out of court so we do not know the terms. However it underlines a problem that has affected aircraft for the past 4 decades or so! The aviation industry denies that there are any problems with the cabin air but they do not monitor the cabin air thus we are have the Coroner demanded the employer (British Airways) and the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to report on what procedures & methods are employed on commercial jets. Simply there are NONE! All airlines across the world will need to take notice of this report as it could cause significant changes in the design of aircraft and safety in the air!
OP compounds are mostly likely formerly used pesticides. While there are some phosphate compounds used in lube oils and greases, most are not technically organophosphates. I guess BA will respond with information about any possible uses of OP compounds in aircraft engines. Right now, I'm skeptical (I was an inhalation toxicologist, but might have missed some new developments).