Hypoxia Threatens Navy and Air Force Pilots, and the Threat Is Growing

[rangerrebew]

Hypoxia Threatens Navy and Air Force Pilots, and the Threat Is Growing


By Eric Tegler
Jun 25, 2017


Navy and Air Force pilots are running short on oxygen.

In the last five years, the number of "physiological events" (PEs) where Navy pilots flying the T-45 Goshawk advanced trainer jet experienced oxygen deprivation (aka hypoxia) have risen four-fold. Caused mainly by failures of the airplane's onboard oxygen system, hypoxia can make a pilot dizzy, confused, and potentially incapable of flying an aircraft.

Ten T-45 hypoxia events were reported in March 2017 and 21 over the first three months of the year. A total of 38 PEs were reported in 2016, 27 in 2015 and 12 in 2014 according to USNI News. The situation has become so critical that the T-45 fleet was partially grounded in late March, halting critical production of new pilots for the Navy and Marine Corps.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/news/a27066/air-force-navy-hypoxia/

[Smokin Joe]

It apperas tests are being run on the equipment. If the failures occur in a specific range of pressures and temperatures, I hope the tests are being conducted in the same range of temperatures and pressures. The failures might be linked to environmental conditions, or the result of a contaminant that would persist at altitude but disperse at sea level.