CC6939 - Lack of Communication from Flight Crew during suspected Odour Event
Initial Report
No communication from Flight crew during briefing or inflight to advise crew they were experiencing an Odour event in the cockpit and no check done in the cabin. The flight crew were aware that aircraft had a fume incident the night before but still agreed to take the aircraft up and back to {Airport} without telling any of us.
They then experienced smell of “sweaty socks” in the cockpit. Didn’t check on our welfare; instead, they asked us to bring breakfast in thus knowingly exposing me to fumes without telling me then asked me to come back in and take breakfast trays out – exposing me to more fumes but not telling me. They said nothing about it on the turnaround. They said nothing about it when we landed. Then when we got on bus (remote stand) management phoned one of the crew to ask about their welfare after odour incident. Obviously we didn’t know what they were talking about so phone is passed to SCCM who said they didn’t know what was going on either, then the Captain spoke up and said yeah we didn’t tell you “because in these situations if we say can you smell sweaty socks you are likely to say yes and then we aren’t sure if that’s true”. So, they didn’t tell us because they think we would have just agreed with them and not had our own opinions!
They are taken off the rest of their duty and sent home. We weren’t and went on to {airport} and back. I came home with runny nose and headache. I complete a CSR – (cabin safety report) The whole day was worrying and stressed about what happened and how we were just carrying on regardless.
comments
Company Comment
Clear and effective communication is essential to ensure that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are followed accurately and efficiently. Timely exchange of safety, operational, and customer service information between the Commander and the SCCM is critical. This information should also be shared with other crew members when operationally necessary to maintain situational awareness and ensure coordinated action.
In the reported incident, a crew member brought food trays into the flight deck, suggesting that the flight crew were not wearing oxygen masks at the time in order to eat, implying that the cockpit environment was considered safe. However, transient smells can occur throughout a duty, with varying intensity depending on the phase of flight and location within the aircraft. Regardless of these variations, it is essential that trained procedures are followed, and that communication remains a constant foundation of flight safety.
Regarding the flight crew receiving a phone call, all crew members are reminded that they can contact the operations team at any point during the duty for advice or support. Welfare support can also be arranged when needed.
Finally, the completion of Cabin Safety Reports is a vital part of the safety management system. These reports help capture key learnings and support continuous improvement through a just culture.
CAA Comment
Communication between flight crew and cabin crew is essential to facilitate shared situational awareness and assist in identifying the cause and extent of a potential occurrence. Questioning techniques and use of language are key elements of information acquisition skills and should consider whether individuals may be led to a conclusion rather than forming their own.
CHIRP Comment
CHIRP Cabin Crew Advisory Board Comment
Odour events can be unsettling and it’s completely understandable that crew would want clear, timely information.
In this case, it’s evident the lack of communication led to confusion and concern. Cabin crew are part of the safety-critical team on board and should be informed of anything that may impact operations or wellbeing, even if it’s just to maintain vigilance or monitor for symptoms.
The comment made about influencing perception, suggesting crew might “agree” they smell something if prompted is rooted in a valid human factors concept. Leading questions can indeed influence responses. However, this does not justify withholding information altogether. There are ways to manage communication sensitively, allowing crew to form their own opinions without suggestion.
CHIRP Flight Crew Comment
Open-ended, non-leading questions such as, “How’s it going?” or “Noticed anything unusual?” should have been asked. It’s essential to avoid leading questions, as they can influence responses and distort the sequence of events. Withholding information from the cabin crew is poor practice and compromises safety.
If a previous defect was identified and engineering cleared the aircraft for flight, we must trust the professional judgment of our colleagues in the engineering department. However, failing to involve the cabin crew in the process meant that a critical resource was overlooked.