Originally Posted by
Std Deviation
Correlation does not equal causation. "Connecting the dots" is often a specious conclusion. We have to be careful here to insure accuracy. I'm on one of the safety committees on the pilot side.
Reminds me of the movie "A Civil Affair" - based on a true story - when the attorney played by Robert Duvall is cross examining the witness about cancer. "Ever pump your own gas? Ever get your clothes dry cleaned?"
The likelihood of specifically identifying these fumes as inducing a medical condition - given the thousands of variables pilots are exposed to - are remote.
Kind of also reminds me of laser events. I wrote a four page article for an aviation publication on laser hits. Interviewed numerous experts. Wore laser goggles in the cockpit for a month. There are ZERO cases of long term medical damage when hit by a laser in the cockpit. ZERO. Despite the contentions of pilots that never report back to work. It's simply not possible to incur that type of injury. Flashblindess yes. Startle, yes. Retina damage, no. I researched it for six months.
It's important to not jump to conclusions. I was a firefighter. That's pretty relevant if I go to the hospital with a fumes event and they find lung damage. Correlation does not equal causation.
This ^^^^^
The guy who suffered serious issues literally walked through a visible cloud of vaporized oil. That is completely different than smelling a smell when the bleeds change. It's important for us to recognize that difference because if we don't, of course people are going to be freaked out.
I think most pilots are fairly calm about the issue. They are reporting things as requested. But I'm hearing some flight attendants are losing it when they get a whiff of anything. Food. Nail polish. Whatever. It's taking on a life of its own, and group psychology is really hard to fix.