Ever smelled dirty socks on a flight?  Most people would look around for the source of the offending odor. Did you know that this smell also can indicate a toxic soup of heated oil in the aircraft air supply. This happens infrequently but persistently and can make people truly sick.

Think it's a hazard on only some aircraft types and that you are not at risk? Wrong. AFA International receives an average of four reports per month on 16 aircraft types, ranging from a 747-400 to an ERJ-145.  Incredibly, airlines still have no real obligation to prevent air supply contamination. AFA works hard on this issue: it may only seriously affect a relatively small proportion of our membership, but the health impact can be so severe that it is a high priority.

This article will provide you with the facts you need, plus some basic tips and tools.  Plenty more, including a basic information packet and a free educational DVD, is available from our Air Safety, Health, and Security Department (http://ashsd.afacwa.org, under "health", or call 206-932-6237).

When oil enters the air supply system, often due to leaky engine oil seals, many people report an odor and some observe a visible smoke or mist in the cabin.  Immediate symptoms include severe headache, dizziness, disorientation, breathing difficulties, stomach cramping, and nausea.  One of the toxins causes even more serious symptoms like long-lasting memory and balance problems, but these may not fully develop for weeks, making it difficult to prove that aircraft engine oil is to blame.

If you smell something suspicious on a plane, call your MEC safety chair. If you can't reach them call Judith Murawski at AFA International (206-932-6237; murawskiAFA@earthlink.net). Be sure to document everything and promptly file a report with ATR. Ask AFA for practical information for you and your doctor. Keep a journal of any symptoms that develop.  Take photos of any visible symptoms like rash or swelling. 

Dirty socks may just be dirty socks but you need to be aware of the alternative explanation in case what happened to our member profiled in the article on this page happens to you.

One flight attendant's story:

(Disclaimer: This is not the story of an AirTran Airways Flight Attendant. This is what could happen to you if toxic fumes get into your lungs.)

"This past Thursday at approximately 9pm, the captain asked me if I smelled any fumes. I told him that I didn't smell anything, but would let him know if I did. As I walked towards the front end of the cabin, I did begin to smell an odor. I called up the captain on the PA and told him I smelled something. I told him that it irritated my nose and eyes, and said that it made me feel high. We were beginning to descend at that point and the fumes got stronger. After I got off the plane, I felt light-headed and off-balance – just not exactly myself. When we got the hotel 10-15 minutes later, I called my mother and told her what had happened and not five minutes into the conversation, my chest got really tight and my left arm felt like someone was squeezing it. I felt hot and my knees became weak. I told my mother how I was feeling and she said to call down to the operator because it sounded like signs of a heart attack. She told me to read off the hotel telephone number, but I couldn't because every word that came out of my mouth came out stuttering. The front desk people came right away and they got my first officer and captain out of their rooms. My first officer went with me to the hospital, but then had to leave because her chief pilot told her to, but I needed her to come back to communicate with the nurse what was wrong with me because I couldn't get the words out. I was admitted to the hospital and they ran a lot of tests but they couldn't find what was wrong with me. They sent me to another hospital where I stayed for two days. They did a MRI, MRA, and blood tests, but since they were not familiar with the kind of fumes I was exposed to, they couldn't run any test on toxins in my blood. All they gave me was Zantac and Amoxicillin for my sinuses. Ever since I left the hospital, I've been very tired. My muscles feel weak, my elbow joints hurt, my speech has gotten better but now my knee joints are weak and I am not walking normally. I feel this cool, tingling sensation up my arms and legs, and in my back and chest. I keep getting these pressure headaches in my left or right temple and sudden sharp pains in my chest. Mentally, I feel dazed and confused and sometimes I have a hard time thinking and getting my words together. I still feel off balance and like my head is swimming. On Saturday, my first officer called me to see how I was doing. I asked her about the plane and if she heard anything and how she was feeling. She said she had been on oxygen during the flight and felt fine. She told me that the maintenance crew checked the plane and concluded that the APU went out on the aircraft and that would have caused the fumes."  

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