Lawyers say that at least three former members of the helicopter crew have passed away from cancer as a result of being exposed to the hazardous vapors, as reported in the Times.
Based on papers made public throughout the disclosure process, the MoD knew in 1999 that the fumes in Sea King helicopters could pose a risk to crew safety, yet they did nothing to protect them. Up until 2018, the Sea King stayed in operation.
Three more helicopters are also mentioned in court cases: the Puma and CH-47 Chinook, which are still in use, and the Westland Wessex, which was last operational in 2003.
Carcinogens called benzene are released into the air by these aircraft’s engines.
According to The Guardian, the pilots of these helicopters had non-Hodgkin lymphoma, lung, testicular, and throat malignancies, among other illnesses. The MoD is being sued by about 40 of the impacted parties, and more are anticipated in the upcoming weeks. Five more have negotiated settlements outside of court.
Kai Macnaughton, who flew thousands of hours in Puma and Chinook helicopters before passing away from a rare blood malignancy last year, was one of the purported victims. “They are still knowingly poisoning aircrew, it is still going on, and they are still putting people at risk,” his widow, Clare Macnaughton, stated to the Times. This is just another Horizon and scandal involving blood pollution.
The families are being represented by Louisa Donaghy, a solicitor at Hugh James lawyers, who stated: “Due to the significant exposure to these dangerous concentration levels of exhaust fumes, a significant number of aircrew may be at risk of cancer.” Although the crew who flew the Sea King were not informed, the Ministry of Defence was aware that workers were being exposed to high concentrations of exhaust fumes. The MoD declined to inform them.
“They did not remove the exhaust from the aircraft, they did not supply personal protective equipment, and they did not take it out of service until 2018.”
Attorneys note that the German military constructed longer exhausts to remove poisonous vapours from crew members after realizing the risks.
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Hugh James partner Steven Horsley stated: “These service members are dying in ignorance; they have given their all for their country, and the cases that we are aware of are just the tip of the iceberg.” Although they were aware of the dangers, the Ministry of Defense chose not to alert the public. Although we are unable to save them, we can inform them of the real source of their cancer. They have a right to know.
“It is extremely concerning that the MOD failed to take any proactive steps to warn or protect service personnel, despite the fact that it appears that generations of personnel may be at risk of cancer.”
“We hugely value our service personnel and veterans and owe a debt of gratitude to all those who serve, often with great personal sacrifice,” the Ministry of Defense stated in a statement. We constantly assess our policies to make sure they uphold best practices and safeguard the welfare of our employees.
“Under the armed forces compensation plan, service people and veterans who believe their ill health was caused by their duty beginning on April 6, 2005, have the right to seek for no-fault compensation.”
