Airtanker Retardant Loading Carbon Monoxide Emissions 2024

On June 24, 2024, a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor installed on a BAe-146 Airtanker at the Colorado Springs Airtanker Base indicated concentrations at—or above—the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) threshold for CO. Five days later, high CO readings were once again identified inside a BAe-146 Airtanker at the Colorado Springs Airtanker Base. These high concentration readings were taken from inside the cockpits during retardant loading operations. The pilots properly vented the aircraft to allow the contaminate to escape and the airtanker personnel completed both missions without incident. Aviation, Fixed Wing, Exposure, RLS