Plane Carbon Monoxide Poisoning In Anchorage Alaska

A pilot, who died in Anchorage, Alaska, died because of a plane carbon monoxide poisoning. The floatplane that was involved in the crash had an extremely damaged and degraded muffler can assembly. The carbon monoxide death occurred last year, according to KFQD.

Before he crashed the plane into a tree, the pilot made two 360 degree right turns. His family said that this kind of erratic flying behavior was not like their loved one at all. The National Transportation Safety Board announced that it was a plane carbon monoxide poisoning that killed the man.

And it was no small amount of carbon monoxide. Examination of his blood demonstrated that he had carboxyhemoglobin levels of 48 percent. These are extremely high levels. Impairment occurs at only 10 or 20 percent. Carboxyhemoglobin is the measure of the amount of carbon monoxide in the blood, which binds to the protein hemoglobin. This protein carries oxygen throughout the body and throughout the brain. High carboxyhemoglobin levels indicate a lack of oxygen, as carbon monoxide has displaced oxygen in the blood. It also indicates a high level of toxicity in the brain. Carbon monoxide poisoning causes an excess of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain, which causes brain cell death.

The problem with the muffler that caused this severe of a poisoning likely was noticed before. It’s probable that this problem did not come out of thin air. Slow, gradual poisoning may have been occurring before until a major problem caused the plane carbon monoxide poisoning death. Who looked at the plane before it was ready to fly?

It’s so important to get machinery that you operate regularly and want to work properly serviced by professionals who know what they are doing. Carbon monoxide is a very deadly gas, and you never want to be in its crosshairs. This plane carbon monoxide poisoning that occurred last year caused a real death. A real person was taken away from his family. This was caused by the confusion and impaired judgement that is brought about by levels of carbon monoxide that are even lower than those measured in his blood. The levels were so high in his blood, I wonder why nobody noticed anything wrong with the plane or with the pilot sooner. It’s hard to say what went on in the moments before the crash without being in the plane with the pilot himself.

Carbon monoxide poisoning causes a range of symptoms before death sinks in. It causes symptoms such as headache, nausea, weakness, chest pain, difficult or labored breathing, loss of consciousness, seizures, and coma. This is a very serious matter as we see in this plane carbon monoxide poisoning because all of these symptoms can lead up to an untimely death.

Another question I have is who owned the plane. It was a floatplane, according to the news report. Who was responsible for its care and maintenance? This tragedy could have happened at Chicago Midway, IL. It could have been prevented if someone spoke up and said that this plane was not acceptable to fly with a degraded muffler. It killed a man in a death that was entirely preventable, making it all the more tragic.