Flybe 'fuming' incident caused by toilet
14.06.08
A pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in Belfast after the flight crew were overcome by fumes from the aircraft lavatory, the Telegraph reports. The incident took place on a BAe 146 which was being flown from Birmingham last September, and has been used to highlight 'fuming' incidents on flights - where problems with the air supply drawn from engines has been blamed for making crew and passengers sick. However, in this case it would appear that there is a completely different - if a little bizarre - explanation.
According to the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) the 52-year old pilot complained of feeling light headed shortly after take-off. Other members of the crew also complained that they felt ‘drunk’ after the fumes started seeping into the body of the aircraft and cockpit. All 5 donned gas masks. There were no passengers on board.
The AAIB report into the incident says: ‘The commander described feeling a sensation in the aircraft like being drunk. He felt it was difficult to concentrate and he felt 'fuzzy.' ‘He found it difficult to concentrate. The co-pilot initially felt she had a reduced capacity to fly the aircraft but this feeling quickly passed.'
‘One cabin crew member felt light-headed, sick and distressed. The other cabin crew member felt tired and sick. The origin of the fumes was traced to the forward toilet and was probably due to a chemical in the toilet.’
The report concluded that problem was caused by too much formaldehyde being used to clean the lavatory during maintenance at Exeter airport. A Flybe spokesman told the newspaper that cleaners had ‘overdosed’ the lavatory. He added: ‘The CAA's findings confirm the fact that chemicals used to clean an onboard toilet had resulted in the crew suspecting that the cabin air quality had been compromised.‘
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