The IAE-engined airbuses have a much higher than normal (compared to other engines) oil pressure, and (probably as a result of that and the way JB takes care of associated maintenance issues) JB has had a ton of “dirty sock smell” fume events (now “magic marker” smell due to the new turbine oil used) that has several pilots out, some permanently, because tricresyl phosphates, which are released when turbine oil is atomized in the bleed system (which is this dirty sock smell), are a neurotoxin. It’s killed and disabled people. Many people don’t know about it, even some JB pilots. And many buy management’s stance that it doesn’t exist and is a pilot work action.
It’s hard, if not impossible, to directly/conclusively link many health issues with it, because no one is paying for any research for it, probably due to the high liability that will ensue when it is directly linked to death/serious ailments. Airbus, the IAE consortium, oil manufacturers, jetblue, and other associated parties certainly don’t want to look into it. And an effing B6ALPA rep (when confronted because ALPO isn’t doing anything about it except bullying pilots saying they are making it up—looking at you Dario) said “I’d rather have a job and leave this alone than pursue it if it means the company goes down—then we will all be on the street.” Even the FAA doesn’t seem to want to touch it. But jetblue seems to have a much higher number of fume events than other IAE-engined A320/321 airlines, presumably due to maintenance practices. Maintenance has been told by management that these are mostly pilot/flight attendant work actions, so maintenance is mostly dismissive of them. JB installed HEPA filters and changed the engine oil as their fix. And they want pilots to wait 3 minutes to see if the smell goes away before taking action, which is enough time for sensory adaptation
https://www.howitworksdaily.com/ques...et-used-to-it/ and to make pilots dismissive of the smell. My understanding is there are objective detectors that can detect when this stuff is in the air, similar to CO detectors, but not shockingly JB won’t install those.
Lots of info on the JB pilot internal forum in a thread that exists to educate people on what tails seem to be the offenders, among other things. Some info here
Wet Sock Smell. Some info on google (search “aerotoxic syndrome”).
I was hit with magic marker smell twice on 2 of 4 legs in a day in the same plane (a320). Had dirty sock smell numerous times at my regional in a CRJ, but was told it’s just dirty pack filters. But it affected me. It’s real. The last time with magic marker smell the captain was messing up his radio calls. I felt off. Not hypoxic, not out of it, just different and slower thinking. That particular captain reads the thread about it and he had it before but said that wasn’t the smell (he had only ever had the dirty socks smell). He refused to write it up. Fortunately a week later it was written up a couple times.
As soon as the A220 is on property I’m gone off of this plane...I hope it’s better. And I hope the Pratt-engined NEOs are better. And I pray if we ever get widebodies they are 787s, because I don’t trust any planes with bleed-based ECS systems to be completely safe from aerotoxic chemicals anymore. I love the airbus, it’s nice, comfortable, the trips are nice (minus redeyes), but I’d rather not play fume roulette for 30 years. I’d worry less about it if I flew for an airline that didn’t have such a high number of events, fwiw.