Heathrow pilot hospitalised after reporting ‘strange smell’ in plane cockpit

The pilots described the odour like wet dog or socks. Photo / 123rf

A pilot was taken to hospital after reporting a strange smell in the cockpit of an aircraft carrying more than 150 passengers from Spain to Heathrow.

The Airbus A320-232 was completing a journey from Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport, Spain, to Heathrow Airport on June 14 when both the pilot and co-pilot noticed an odd smell in the cockpit.

The plane was just minutes away from landing with 159 passengers and six crew on board.

As they approached Heathrow, the co-pilot reportedly said they smelt the odour of “wet dog or sweaty socks”.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) investigated the incident, which occurred on June 14 this year, and published a report on Thursday, November 10. According to the report, “neither pilot felt any sense of impairment and given their high workload, they briefly discussed the odour and decided to continue the approach without actioning the smoke/fumes removal procedure.”

Despite the smell, the flight handed safety at Heathrow. No cabin crew noticed an odour and passengers disembarked without issue, however paramedics were called to the aircraft.

“The co-pilot felt anxious but was reassured by the paramedics and it was not judged that he required any further medical checks,” said the AAIB report.

“Due to elevated blood pressure and pulse rate, the paramedics took the commander to hospital for further assessment.”

During the assessment, the commander underwent a blood test to check they had not been exposed to toxic gases. After attaining a negative result, they were released from hospital.

The plane was briefly removed from service for examination but no technical cause for the smell was found and it was returned to service.

This isn’t the first time A320 has been accused of smelling odd.

“There have been a significant number of suspected fumes events in the operator’s A320 fleet, but no decisive technical findings have been made,” said the report.

“The awareness of such events has been raised by the campaigning conducted by pilot and cabin crew Unions, and the CAA indicates the possibility of a psychological response to the perceived problem of aircraft fumes events.”

The CAA does not recommend any specific medical test for people with symptoms or exposure to toxins. So, the crew member was taken to the most appropriate medical facility as per the operator’s medical service recommendation.