Summary
- Fume events onboard aircraft pose a serious safety threat to passengers and crew, causing teary eyes, nausea, and dizziness.
- European Cockpit Association classifies fume events as major safety compromises and recommends following a checklist to attenuate risks.
- British Airways’ Airbus A320 experienced one other fume event, with pilots and cabin crew feeling unwell, prompting an investigation.
A crew onboard a British Airways Airbus A320, Registration: G-EUUT, felt unwell consequently of fumes onboard a flight to Munich. During a routine flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Munich Airport (MUC) in Germany, the flight crew reported fumes and odor while descending towards the destination.
While each pilots felt unwell on the time, they continued to descend for a protected landing at MUC. The aircraft stays on the bottom, and the incident is being investigated.
British Airways Flight 948
On October 12, British Airways Flight BA-948 was performing a routine flight onboard the carrier’s Airbus A320-232 (Registration G-EUUT, MSN 3314) aircraft when pilots and cabin crew noticed an odd odor within the cabin. The aircraft was approaching the tip of its 1 hour and 18 minutes flight MUC when the incident was reported.
Photo: Senohrabek | Shutterstock
Each pilots and cabin crew reported that fumes and odor onboard caused tears of their eyes and made them feel unwell. The pilots onboard the aircraft continued their descent into MUC despite the fumes occurring. The aircraft landed safely on runway 26R and taxied to the assigned gate. Aside from some crew feeling unwell, there have been no other injuries reported.
The aircraft remained on the bottom for greater than 30 hours after the incident. The authorities and the upkeep personnel inspect the aircraft to search out the foundation explanation for the incident. The return flight from MUC (BA-949) was subsequently canceled. Data from FlightRadar24.com shows that no flights are scheduled for the aircraft until October 15.
One other incident this week involving a British Airways A320
On October 8, a special Airbus A320, registered as G-TTOB, was performing a flight from Barcelona (BCN) in Spain to LHR when pilots detected fumes within the cockpit. The odor left several crew members feeling unwell, and were treated by emergency personnel upon landing in LHR.
Photo: Ceri Breeze/Shutterstock
The paramedics at LHR treated three patients upon landing. The aircraft remained on the bottom while authorities, with the assistance of maintenance personnel, investigated the incident.
Fume events compromise the security of flights
Fume events onboard the aircraft pose a severe threat to the security of passengers and crew. Fumes may cause teary eyes, nausea, and dizziness, limiting pilots and cabin crew from performing protected operations. The aviation regulatory authorities, including the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), require airlines to take care of the protected operability of their aircraft.
The European Cockpit Association (ECA) refers to fume events onboard flights as cabin air contamination and classifies it as a significant event compromising the security of the aircraft and its occupants. In keeping with the ECA document on safety,
“Studies and occurrence/accident reports have shown that such events could pose a threat to the security of flight operations in addition to to the health of cockpit/cabin crew and passengers.”
While the ECA recommends following a checklist during a fumes event, pilots are trained to perform vital actions to attenuate safety risks.
What are your thoughts on the British Airways’ yet one more Airbus A320 fumes event? Have you ever traveled with British Airways recently or experienced a fume event onboard? Share your experience within the comments section.
Source: The Aviation Herald