Pedro's Story & Testimony
Pedro Gonzales Baum:
I am going to tell you I little bit about me and the Aerotoxic Syndrome so you can understand better who and why.
In the year 2015 I read a small text about Aerotoxic Syndrome in a watsup group of 100 participants; the next week I flew as a cabin crew from Madrid to the Caribbean.
When we got into the aircraft, all the crew could smell the strong odours inside the plane, after some minutes we got used to the smell and we of course passed through the cabin with the spray air freshener to try to cover the smell.
The passengers started to board the aircraft and all of them spoke about the horrible smell amongst one other and some complained to us; after boarding was completed they got used to it.
One hour and a half after take-off two collegues started to *LOSE THEIR VOICES , in one of them it was spectacular because she *LOST THE VOICE COMPLETELY* .
Some of us spoke between us about *NOT FEELING GOOD , with ITCHY EYES AND THROAT* .
We stayed in the Caribbean Islands for two days and then returned in the same aircraft.
Before take off I spoke with the senior cabin crew and the captain about the contamination of the air inside the plane with oil, they looked at me as if I was crazy and told me that there was nothing to worry about, the oil quantity in the engines was good.
I made all the crew read the text speaking about Aerotoxic Syndrome.
We took off and we had the same symptoms again ITCHY EYES AND THROAT and two cabin crews *LOSING THEIR VOICES*.
When we arrived in Madrid I touched a bulkhead and you could feel the oil on the fingertips, so again I told the senior and the captain now it was obvious but they didn’t pay attention, only the captain said something about reporting, so I reported straight away to the engineers when all the passengers had disembarked. I called the safety department of the company and on the way home went to the office and spoke about it with the cabin crew manager.
Then I went to the hospital where they performed a regular blood test because they didn’t see neurological problems, no findings of course even though I told them I was in contact with the organophosphate tricresil phosphate.
This airline already has two cabin crew suffering from MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS that I know off.
The result of what I did is, that I got called to the office and they made me see that I was not going to be called again (since 2006) to work because they were making me and a lot more illegal short terms of contracts, as does every airline in Spain.
After the meeting in the office I got this email:
Dear Pedro,
As a continuation of the meeting we had yesterday with you, I want to contact you, in writing, commenting verbally so that your uneasiness ceases in this regard:
1.- As you well know, on your arrival from the flight ……., on the 4th of this month, you came to talk with me about a problem that you had observed in the aircraft EC -….. and that *WE HAD ALREADY RECORDED IN THE LAST FLIGHTS* , *PROBLEMS WITH ODORS IN SAID PLANE* . The next day, and as we agreed, you sent us your Security report to the Dpt. of Operational Safety on this fact, which we have valued positively and you have been thanked for both by me and by the Security Department.
2.- On 04 of this month and before the departure of the plane, the corresponding checks were again made, which confirmed that THE AFOREMENTIONED ODORS CAME FROM THE APU, AS HAD ALREADY BEEN SUSPECTED and WAS UNDER OBSERVATION , without that this will affect the safety of the flight or the airworthiness of the aircraft, proceeding to perform the tasks the following day to correct this deficiency.
3.- As is usual practice, EC -….. inspections have been carried out on the aircraft by different technicians from the Maintenance Department, who have verified and agreed that the condition of the aircraft is airworthy and that THERE IS NO RISK TO THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF PASSENGERS AND / OR CREW .
4.- On the 4th of this month in the office, and the next day by the Safety Report, you told us that, FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW , the ODORS that were DETECTED WERE THE RESULT OF A LEAK OF OIL , HYDRAULIC FLUID OR FUEL , AND THAT the DECISION HAD TO BE TAKEN that said aircraft should cease to operate, and that, shortly, THE CREW that had rendered services on said aircraft WOULD FALL ILL , urging us to warn them to go immediately to a hospital.
5.- As I said, neither you nor I have the adequate qualifications sufficient to assess this type of highly technical issues, so I reiterate that THE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL , who are HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED , are the competent people to manage these problems (whose professionalism is questioning), were duly informed of the situation and finally found, since it was being followed up on their part, that the SMELLS CAME FROM THE APU, AND THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO PROBLEM OF HEALTHINESS and / OR SAFETY , what YOUR COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS , ALTHOUGH RESPECTABLE AND VALUED , I BELIEVE ARE NOT ACCURATE .
6.- Therefore, I beg you, stop making unjustified statements and suggestions that are not true about the condition of our aircraft and our management in the maintenance and operation of them. Name of the Spanish company SA RESERVES THE LEGAL ACTIONS it deems appropriate to compensate for the damages THAT YOUR MANIFESTATIONS MAY CAUSE you IN THE EVENT THAT YOU CONTINUE WITH THIS ATTITUDE , when the technical staff confirmed a few days ago that the deficiency was resolved in your due moment.
7.- That, nevertheless, if you have verifiable elements that the aircraft have any defect that puts the safety of the passage / crew at risk, I URGE YOU TO INFORM THE COMPETENT AUTHORITIES of this circumstance SO THAT THEY CARRY OUT the APPROPRIATE INSPECTIONS , as they are doing regularly.
8.- The name of the company SA WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY KIND OF PRESSURE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES , and EVEN LESS if they are CARRIED OUT USING SUCH TRANSCENDENT QUESTIONS AS AVIATION SECURITY . I sincerely HOPE THAT BEHIND ALL THIS , THERE IS NO JOB and / OR ECONOMIC CLAIM , BECAUSE IF SO , it WOULD BE REALLY SERIOUS .
9.- WE HAVE RECEIVED YOU TWICE IN OUR OFFICE , and we have attended your reports, DEVOTING MUCH OF OUR TIME TO ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS AS NO OTHER COMPANY WORKER HAD EVER ASKED US .
10.- As I said yesterday WE WILL DEPROGRAM YOU FROM TOMORROW FOR THE NEXT SERVICES GRANTING YOU A PAID LEAVE OF ABSENCE , *BECAUSE I CONSIDER THAT YOU ARE NOT IN THE BEST CONDITIONS TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE* .
Regards, MRR
Cabin crew manager
On behalf of the Spanish company SA.
