BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSOCIATION

  The IPA is a professional association of UK based pilots. It has a membership of approximately 1,500 drawn from all sections of aviation, from students to 747 senior captains, from new entrants to Flight Operations Directors and was established in 1991 as an alternative to the British Airline Pilots Association. It is run and operated by current and retired professionals from within the aviation industry and has a wide area of aviation expertise upon which to draw, having amongst its membership flight crew members with Doctorates, a Professorship and Chartered Engineers.

  The IPA is currently giving attention (in addition to many other non-health issues) to DVT, radiation exposure, carriage of potable water on freighter aircraft and cabin air quality.

  The Association actively participates in both national and international consultative forums (eg flight safety, engineering, aviation security, health and human factors) to facilitate the exchange of information that will enable its members to execute their duties to the highest professional standards. Helping keep British aviation at the forefront of best practice and the model to be emulated by others is of prime concern to the Association as, no doubt, it is to the Committee.

Concerning the Committee's Recommendations in the Fifth Report into Air Travel and Health, Summary and Recommendations

Concerning recommendation 1.9: Actively pursue internationally crew and passenger health interests

  The Association wrote to the Chairman of the CAA expressing its concerns regarding the potential effects on crew and passenger health from cabin air contamination events linked to engine lubricating oil leaking into aircraft cabin air supply systems. The Association was told to bring the matter up with EASA themselves.

Concerning recommendation 1.11: Monitoring and recording of the general health of aircrew

  The Association currently has nine members undergoing medical investigations due to problems they have reason to believe, emanate from cabin air contamination linked to engine oil leaks. Despite advising the DfT of the requirement for a medical protocol to thoroughly investigate the problem some time ago, the problem being known of for many years, the matter is still being discussed and researched. The Association is left wondering how many more pilots must lose their jobs and livelihoods before the problem is accepted and resolved.

  Similarly, no consideration is being given to the effect on human performance that the cocktail of known chemicals emanating from heated, vaporised aircraft engine lubricating oil leaking into an aircraft's air-conditioning system. Or the believed marked increase in toxicity of the chemicals under such conditions.

Concerning recommendation 1.12: Exchange of medical information between a crew member's AME and General Practitioner

  Members of the Association have no evidence this occurring.

Concerning recommendation 1.13-15: Health Guides

  No advice given, in any publication, regarding what passengers should do if they are taken ill on a flight because of something that is believed to have happened on that flight.

A CASE IN POINT

  A group of unrelated passengers (approximately 40), on the same flight, became ill with similar symptoms, on a flight to the USA, all stayed at different locations, most required medical attention, some hospitalisation, none received a definitive diagnosis. Some still suffering reduced symptoms months later. The airline concerned states to concerned passengers that no-one else has complained. A group of the passengers are in contact with each other and know this to be wholly untrue. As far as the passengers are concerned the airline is in denial and very little if anything has been done to address their concerns let alone discover what they were/are suffering from.

  The Association believes a full account is being provided to the Committee by a group of those passengers affected.

Concerning recommendation 1.24: Ventilation

  The JAA requirement states:

"Each crew compartment must have enough fresh air... to enable crew members to perform their duties without undue discomfort or fatigue"

and;

"Crew and passenger compartment air must be free from harmful or hazardous concentrations of gases or vapours."

Concerning recommendation 1.25: Air Quality

  The current continuously monitored basic cabin environment data only includes, cabin air temperature and pressure, and bleed air temperature and pressure, not what is in that air.

Concerning recommendation 1.26: Air Quality

  The Aviation Health Working Group is addressing the sampling programme, however it is neither simple nor inexpensive and considering the Committee's recommendations were published in 2000 is progressing very slowly.

  Yet to be defined is what the samplers are to be designed to detect and at what levels. Research is in hand to address this deficit.

  Another unknown is what effect the cocktail of chemicals known to emanate from pyrolised aircraft engine oil that leaks into an aircraft's air-conditioning system has on the human body. The Association believes this point has been overlooked by the AHWG as no reference to required further research in this aspect can be found.

  The Association has reason to believe that the level of toxicity of some of the constituents in aircraft engine lubricating oils greatly increases when it becomes pyrolized i.e. changes from a fluid to a heated and vaporised state. From the little research on the subject that has been located it would appear that further in-depth research is required.

  Both the DfT's Aviation Health Working Group and the CAA's Occupational Health and Safety Steering Group would appear to be selective and non-inclusive in the selection of representatives they choose to have in their groups. The IPA has been denied representation on both groups despite its diverse range of aviation expertise.

Concerning Recommendation 1.43(c): Research

  Covered above.

Concerning Recommendation 1.43(f): Research

  The Association can find no aspect of this in the public record and has no evidence from members that is happening.

Concerning Recommendation 1.47: Complaints Procedure

  Covered above.

18 June 2006