LaissezPasser
23rd Dec 2020, 21:13
A recent investigation by the LA Times into toxic fumes from bleed air contamination is getting a lot of attention and would be worth discussing here. Their analysis drew upon upon reports from NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System, the FAA's Mechanical Interruption Summary reports and Service Difficulty Reports, as well as crew interviews, according to a follow-on story.
Manufacturers have so far succeeded in framing these "offensive odor" incidents (a term that even suggests something humorous, like a fart on an elevator) as benign and transient, while some crew have attested to debilitating long-term harm, even at imperceptible levels. One pilot compares toxic bleed air fumes to being “the tobacco and asbestos of aviation” that nobody wants to talk about.
I'd post the links, but don't have that privilege anymore. Your thoughts?
Manufacturers have so far succeeded in framing these "offensive odor" incidents (a term that even suggests something humorous, like a fart on an elevator) as benign and transient, while some crew have attested to debilitating long-term harm, even at imperceptible levels. One pilot compares toxic bleed air fumes to being “the tobacco and asbestos of aviation” that nobody wants to talk about.
I'd post the links, but don't have that privilege anymore. Your thoughts?