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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

Toxic Air Plane Crash Warning

2013-02-04

[EXPRESS.CO.UK] PASSENGER jets risk "dropping out of the sky" because airlines refuse to fit detectors that could save pilots from poisonous cabin air, a toxicologist told the Sunday Express.

Professor Chris van Netten, former US government adviser, says the industry is putting profits before the health and safety of passengers or crew.

He says that by failing to fit monitors that can "easily" detect leaks of odourless, colourless and toxic carbon monoxide, there is always the risk that pilots could inhale fumes and be rendered incapable of safely flying the plane.

Professor van Netten, who is Canadian, is a world authority on bleed-air contamination.

He said: "Carbon monoxide is a relatively rare event

How rare? Because at some point the precautions are against something that will likely never happen.

but it's an acute one that can bring an aircraft down.

So could it if the Hand of God reaches down from the sky and tears off all the engines, but we don't take precautions against that, right?

"When it happens you want to know what is going on because it is incapacitating and you want to be able to flush it out.

"If you can put detectors in the home, why not put them in the aircraft?"

Posted by:Fred

#9 cabin pressure, not CO (supposedly) but: Payne Stewart

Posted by: Frank G 2013-02-04 22:09

#8 OP, my thoughts exactly. Has there ever been an incident where the cabin crew passed out or was even affected from CO poisoning?

Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2013-02-04 21:31

#7 AP, what's the cabin air refresh rate for commercial aviation? I think the air is completely replaced every x number of minutes -- my mind wants to say every 30 minutes. I doubt carbon monoxide would build up fast enough to be a problem. I think someone's just out to sell carbon monoxide detectors.

Posted by: Old Patriot 2013-02-04 20:54

#6 I have a buddy who owns a nice Bonanza. He bought a Carbon Monoxide detector at a local hardware store and mounted it in the aircraft. I think it cost him ~$25.00....

Posted by: Uncle Phester 2013-02-04 19:39

#5 I knew a Supt. for a local bridge contractor who brought his son to work one Fall day in '94. Kid was sick and staying home from school. They apparently fired up their heater for the first time that night. Never woke up.

Posted by: Frank G 2013-02-04 15:42

#4 Last year they passed a law in California requiring all homes to have carbon monoxide detectors. I think it's fair to assume the company that makes the detectors made a lot of money. Strange though, I've been around for quite a few decades and never had a problem with carbon monoxide.

Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2013-02-04 14:29

#3 I would not have thought this to be a problem. A couple of links regarding aircraft air quality. National Sciences Academy Press. and Brit study

Posted by: JohnQC 2013-02-04 08:55

#2 Professor Chris van Netten, former US government adviser, says the industry is putting profits before the health and safety of passengers or crew.

I find that difficult to unbelieve.

Posted by: Besoeker 2013-02-04 04:57

#1 Carbon Monoxide detectors for low end general Aviation aircraft are available (the cheap ones are disposable and short lived, 90 days to 18 months, the $50 dollar one lasts about 5 years then must be tossed). A link to a retail supplier follows. http://tinyurl.com/bnhp7vp

I suspect certifying detectors for commercial use could be very pricey and they would require constant calibration and maintenance because the sensing material deteriorates over time.

Posted by: tipover 2013-02-04 02:23

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