British Airways sub-pilot from Athens to London passed out a moment before landing after poisonous gas created haze in cockpit • Peace passengers
British Airways Plane // Photo: Reuters
The British Airways BA633 sub-pilot from Athens to London passed out a moment before landing after gas from toxic material became entangled in the cockpit. The captain, wearing a mask, was able to land the plane safely.
The Airbus A320-200 was already four miles from the Heathrow landing track when the captain reported smoke in the cockpit. He put on an oxygen mask, activated the call for help, and informed the control tower that he was continuing access to the landing on Route 27R. . The landing was performed without incident two minutes later and the plane landed at 20:35. The incident happened on Thursday, January 2, and according to the captain, he felt the smell of stinky socks, and while wearing the oxygen mask, noticed that the co-pilot had passed out. The rest of the crew was unaware of the drama in the cockpit. Since the incident, the plane has been parked at the airport and has not returned to fly.
This is the latest in the chain of incidents in the cockpit that occurred recently. On October 19, on a British Airways flight from Gatwick Port in London to Paphos in Cyprus, there was a smoke leak in the cockpit. The first officer smelled strange, and asked the captain if he felt it, and it answered in the negative. 30 seconds later, the first officer felt a sense of circumcision, and he felt he was about to faint. He immediately put on the oxygen mask, and told the captain he wasn't feeling well. The captain did not respond, but later said he also felt bad. They both landed the plane safely, wearing oxygen masks and immediately after landing opened the window to allow clean air in, while the plane was towed to the parking position.
After the engine was turned off, the captain went to the bathroom with one of the flight attendants, who was shocked by the paleness on his face. In both cases the passengers felt nothing. One of the flight attendants said she smelled a strong smell of fuel from the cockpit door as soon as it opened. Both pilots were taken to hospital for tests, where they were diagnosed with high fever and a lack of oxygen in the blood. Doctors advised them to stay up at night, but they preferred to return to the hotel and return to London the next day as passengers on another plane.
The common reason for smoking in the cockpit is a leak of machine oil. The oil used by the aircraft engines contains an additive called Tricarsil Phosphate TCP, which reduces engine burnout. It is a toxic substance that if penetrated into the cockpit, it smells like used socks, causes dizziness and impairs the functioning ability of those who breathe it.