If you have experienced a fume event, you should report it. A fume event occurs when oil from the aircraft's engines or Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) enters the cabin. It may be visible as a mist or smoke, and may have an odour e.g. sweet oily, sweaty socks, vomit, wet dog, etc. Medical symptoms may follow, and may take a few days to fully manifest themselves.
We have produced this credit card-sized quick reference card to print out showing what to do if a fume event occurs.
If you experience a fume event or any symptoms, you should contact the following organisations:
- The airline or travel agent - contact customer support
- The national aviation authority. In the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority Aviation Health Unit
- If in the UK, the Health Protection Agency
- The Toxic Free Airlines database to record your flight details and symptoms
You should give them as much of the following information as possible:
- Date of flight
- Flight details (flight number, departure, destination)
- Phase of flight (e.g. before start, taxiing, takeoff, descent, landing)
- Aircraft type and registration
- Symptoms, and whether others were affected
It is important to get as much as possible in writing. Be warned the airline or aviation authority may try and trivialise your complaint, tell you're the "only one to complain" or deny that the incident has occurred. We do recommend persisting until you get a satisfactory outcome and would be glad if you keep the Aerotoxic Association informed of your progress.
