Mayday! Pilot lands BA jet in oxygen mask in fumes panic
A BRITISH Airways captain sent a Mayday call and put on an oxygen mask as he made an emergency landing when his co-pilot was overcome by cockpit fumes.
The flight from Athens was little more than four miles from London when the first officer, who was flying the plane, fell ill.
The captain took over and raised the alarm in the final stages of the descent into Heathrow.
The drama is the latest of 300 “fume events” involving BA passenger jets being investigated by the Air Accident Investigation Board.
The airline faces almost 100 cases of alleged “aerotoxicity”.
The first officer had been declared fit to fly before boarding the Airbus A320 jet in the Greek capital for the four-hour flight on January 2.
A BA spokesman denied claims by insiders that the first officer had fainted and was slumped over the control column about to land.
Within two minutes – at 8.25pm – the aircraft had landed. A BA probe grounded the jet for 48 hours.
BA admitted the first officer had fallen ill but would not say what caused him to feel unwell.
It said he was “seen by an airport paramedic as a precaution before going home”. Cabin crew and passengers were unaware of the drama.
BA claimed: “Fume or odour events as the plane was have been found to be caused by a wide range of issues, including burnt food in the oven, aerosols and e-cigarettes, strongly smelling food in cabin bags and de-icing fluid.”
But aviation experts say the most probable cause of a such a situation is a broken seal or an oil leak.
BA insisted it is standard practice for pilots to put on oxygen masks if they fear breathing is compromised.
An AAIB spokesman said: “When our investigation has concluded, we will publish a report.” BA is being sued by almost 100 staff, who claim their health has been affected by fumes from engines entering the cabin.
The Unite union claims that pilots and crew are exposed to “fume events” that can “place the health and safety of aircrew at risk”.
The action is headed by the family of BA pilot Richard Westgate, 43, who died in 2012 from an overdose of sleeping pills. They claim he was exposed to fumes that led him to selfmedicate and contributed to his death.
A coroner in April 2017 ruled his overdose was accidental but heard that a post-mortem examination revealed damage to his heart and nervous system, which his family say were signs of exposure to aerotoxicity.
BA has denied any liability in Mr Westgate’s death and the High Court case is ongoing.
The BA spokesman added: ‘We would never operate an aircraft if we believed it posed any health or safety risk to our customers or crew.” 11 months later to marry American divorcee Wallace Simpson.
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