Ran across the article below about a recent USAir incident where the FAs got sick in flight but no one else on board had any symptoms. The cause hasn't been determined yet and we may never hear anything more from it but it jogged my memory of something I THINK I remember from many years ago.
"Nine flight attendants aboard US Airways Flight 715 complained of "nausea, running eyes and dizziness…"
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/10/travel/us-airways-flight-crew-iilness/index.html
When I looked into ozone and cabin air quality all those years ago ( an old 727 was involved), I seem to remember that dispatch offices had a regulatory obligation to track atmospheric ozone concentrations and flight plan around those areas deemed too high if the airplane had no filtering capability. Or maybe that's just what I was told the company did on its own without mandate ?
So, is there now any federal mandate to track/plan around atmospheric ozone ? Was there ever one ?
The only FAR references I find re ozone are these (unless what I think I remember is buried in some seemingly unrelated FAR). FARs do get amended in light of improved technology:
FAR Part 121:
http://www.flightsimaviation.com/data/FARS/part_121-578.html
Maybe 121.578(d)(2) relates to tracking/flight planning ?
FAR Part 25:
http://www.flightsimaviation.com/data/FARS/part_25-832.html
Other things can cause cabin occupants to feel ill, e.g., fluid leaks from engines into the A/C system. But you'd expect everyone to sense this (or at least in my experience they do). I remember reading that the FAs are likely more sensitive to toxic substances as they're on their feet and moving more than sedentary pax (higher respiratory rate).
Symptoms of ozone exposure:
"Shortness of breath, dry cough or pain when taking a deep breath, tightness of the chest, wheezing, and sometimes even nausea are common responses to ozone."
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/OzoneWeBreathe/ozone_we_breathe2.php
cabin ozone research:
http://acer-coe.org/research/atmospheric-ozone.html
"Nine flight attendants aboard US Airways Flight 715 complained of "nausea, running eyes and dizziness…"
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/10/travel/us-airways-flight-crew-iilness/index.html
When I looked into ozone and cabin air quality all those years ago ( an old 727 was involved), I seem to remember that dispatch offices had a regulatory obligation to track atmospheric ozone concentrations and flight plan around those areas deemed too high if the airplane had no filtering capability. Or maybe that's just what I was told the company did on its own without mandate ?
So, is there now any federal mandate to track/plan around atmospheric ozone ? Was there ever one ?
The only FAR references I find re ozone are these (unless what I think I remember is buried in some seemingly unrelated FAR). FARs do get amended in light of improved technology:
FAR Part 121:
http://www.flightsimaviation.com/data/FARS/part_121-578.html
Maybe 121.578(d)(2) relates to tracking/flight planning ?
FAR Part 25:
http://www.flightsimaviation.com/data/FARS/part_25-832.html
Other things can cause cabin occupants to feel ill, e.g., fluid leaks from engines into the A/C system. But you'd expect everyone to sense this (or at least in my experience they do). I remember reading that the FAs are likely more sensitive to toxic substances as they're on their feet and moving more than sedentary pax (higher respiratory rate).
Symptoms of ozone exposure:
"Shortness of breath, dry cough or pain when taking a deep breath, tightness of the chest, wheezing, and sometimes even nausea are common responses to ozone."
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/OzoneWeBreathe/ozone_we_breathe2.php
cabin ozone research:
http://acer-coe.org/research/atmospheric-ozone.html
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