THE SILENCE OF THE AGENCIES
Aerotoxic Global Network·Saturday, 3 August 2019
FROM THE AEROTOXIC LOGBOOK:
Several dramatic incidents have become known to the Aviation Herald and have been researched by them. Their blog is the most important source of information for this kind of incident:
Case 1
concerns a Lufthansa flight from the year 2016, the details of which are only now being made public: an LH Airbus A340-600, which was on its way from Hong Kong to Munich on 10th January 2016. Several flight attendants complained about the well-known symptoms such as dizziness, severe headaches, impaired vision, and concentration. Three of them became so ill that they have been unable to work ever since i.e. are unfit to fly.
After landing, the plane had to stay grounded for sixteen hours to replace all the textile equipment in the cabin. The Aviation Herald only now became aware, that this was the second of a total of three consecutive fume event incidents. There had already been a fume event on the outbound flight. The next day, on 12th January 2016, such an event took place again, this time on the way to Dubai.
The BFU, which apparently became aware of these incidents because of their frequency, was not prepared to initiate an investigation. For them, such incidents are not worrying and are only classified as "incident". The fact that flight personnel becomes chronically ill and unable to work does not bother the supervisory authority.
Lufthansa and the responsible employers' liability insurance association have classified the incident of the three sick crew members as an "accident at work". With the additional note: "At the same time, compensation payments ... beyond 12.1. 2016 are denied, as the complaints filed by the crew are no longer causally attributable to the alleged event."
To this end, the Aviation Herald has posted a letter online, from Lufthansa to one of the cabin crew members, listing the complaints.
Case 2
is no less dramatic. Even the daily "Die Welt" reported on this incident on 10th June 2019: "Biting Odor" in the cabin of a Lufthansa jumbo jet.
It happened on 7th June 2019 and concerned a Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet on its way from Mexico. It was already on the runway, but had to return to the gate because of the "biting smell". Four or five of the crew members were taken to hospital.
Lufthansa apparently did not respond to the newspaper's inquiries and only spoke of an "indefinable smell" - supplemented by the usual standard sentence: "The safety of the passengers and crew members has top priority for us at all times".
Case 3
is probably the most dramatic, because it also affected the two pilots, who - as the only ones in an airplane - can fall back on oxygen masks (if they are still able to do so).
This time it concerned a British Airways Airbus A 321 from London to Copenhagen. And it concerned the two pilots who were able to 'save' themselves with oxygen masks during the landing approach. But they had to go to the hospital afterward. The return flight had to be postponed by 29 hours.
As usual, the agencies are silent...
... and the hospitals. The airlines anyway. Because of these reasons, there is little to learn on a regular basis. But it would be important to be able to convey this matter and kind of drama to the (sleeping) politicians.
We, therefore, call on the flight crews but also the passengers (who usually do not know at all what is going on) to at least report it to the Aviation Herald which is (so far) the only valid information platform. However, they themselves know that they can only convey the tip of the iceberg.
SOURCE DOKZENTRUM ANSTAGESLICHT.DE: https://www.anstageslicht.de/aktuelle-entwicklungen/aerotoxic-matters-containing-the-aerotoxic-logbook/aerotoxic-logbook-english/
©DOKZENTRUM
TRANSLATION: AEROTOXIC TEAM /BB
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