Flight crew at risk due to toxic air inside planes

Washingotn, May 2: Three airline crews in Atlanta, US, in the past year had emergency medical care after they said fumes on board their planes made them sick, according to a media report.

Director of Georgia’s Poison Control Center, Dr. Gaylord Lopez, told WSBTV that the agency received emergency calls three different times in the past year about flight crews falling ill at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Dr Lopez said, “We had 13 patients exposed over the past year related to airplane fumes.” He described the symptoms as “coughing, choking, gagging, wheezing, shortness of breath.”

Pressurised cabin air is drawn through the jet’s engines. It’s called bleed air. In the engine’s oil is an additive called Tricresyl phosphate, or TCP. If there’s a leak or other mechanical issue, fumes from the chemical could circulate into the cabin, affecting passengers, but more often the flight crew, the report said.

“I couldn’t think. I had nausea. I felt dizzy. I had a headache,” said former flight attendant Vanessa Woods. Woods says it has caused neurological issues that have made it impossible for her to work. She and the other flight attendants filed a lawsuit against Boeing, the manufacturer of the plane.

Boeing told WSB-TV: “The air in our airplane cabins is safe. Boeing’s bleed air systems meet all applicable FAA requirements.” — Agencies