Late pilot’s family hits out at airline industry

THE family of a British Airways copilot who believe he was poisoned by contaminated cockpit air have accused the airline industry of having its “head in the sand”, despite a coroner dismissing the claims.

Richard Westgate, 43, died in 2012 after moving to Holland to seek help from a specialist clinic for his symptoms which he thought were caused by “aerotoxic syndrome”, which has been called “pilot’s disease”.

The coroner at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court ruled Mr Westgate died accidentally at the Bastion Hotel in Bussum, Holland, after taking an unintentional overdose of the sleeping tablet pentobarbital.

Prior to his death, his family said he had been in “excruciating pain”, as well as suffering digestive problems, fatigue, headaches, clumsiness and an inability to sense temperature. Mr Westgate’s mother, Judy, accused the airline industry of “denying responsibility”.

She said: “Just like the tobacco industry in the Fifties refusing to admit smoking causes cancer, the airline industry has its head in the sand.

“The inconvenient truth for the airlines is that low doses of toxins in cabin air, over hundreds of hours, can hurt people. One day the truth will out.”