By Bearnairdine Beaumont & Trudie Dadd
The story of former British Aerospace Pilot Leonard Lawrence has continued for more than 20 years.
Len was not believed and instead was misdiagnosed. He was mistreated, overmedicated, arrested and psychologically abused.
He lost his family, his health, home, personal assets as well as his liberty.
Len had experienced fume events and recorded them. The first recorded was on 29 November 1991:
‘As the plane roared down the runway on takeoff, passing V1 (the speed at which the plane must be in the air), the flight deck filled with hot, pungent smoke. Both pilots were blinded, losing all visual reference, unable to see any instruments or controls on the flight deck. Their skin was burning, their eyes were burning, and they were having difficulty breathing.
The captain, an experienced British Aerospace pilot, was able to restore visual reference by locating the instrument panel dump valve that was venting air from the aircraft. Visual reference was restored within three seconds. However, the heat from the vents around the rudder pedals was so intense that the pilots were forced to lift their legs. It was unlikely that they would have been able to safely control the aircraft in the event of an engine failure.
The fume event lasted approximately 15 seconds.
They followed emergency procedures and notified air traffic control that they were in a MAYDAY situation.
They then made an emergency landing and evacuated all passengers from the aircraft.
The incident report completed by both pilots never made it to the Civil Aviation Authority in the United Kingdom. How could this have happened?
The aircraft was sold and all logbooks and records were exported with it.’
Taken from Len Lawrence's testimony:
https://www.unfiltered.vip/len-lawrence.html
‘Len himself experienced a series of these events, the last in 2004, when he was co-pilot to a recently-retired Civil Aviation Authority flight operation inspector.
Len recalls that he and the captain were aware of an oily smell. What followed was and remains a blank. The plane had descended to five hundred feet above Amsterdam – not aligned to any runway – before they pull out of the descent and return to the correct flight path.
Both men were still suffering from mental confusion, and this time it didn’t go away.
The next day they were flying together again when they received an instruction from Swiss Air Traffic Control to re-route their London bound flight. ‘Both the captain and Len were unable to process the information being given,’ says Len. ‘That was my last ever flight before I resigned. I could not, and indeed still cannot, think clearly enough to fly.’
Len counts himself lucky to be alive. He certainly wasn’t lucky in what followed. Although the effects of breathing toxic fumes were made known to the psychiatrist he was sent to, this was ignored and he was falsely diagnosed with a mental illness and medicated.
This is particularly problematic because ‘treatment’ for mental illness with pharmaceutical drugs only serves to exacerbate damage to cells already damaged through chemical exposure. (A known effect of organophosphate poisoning is that pharmaceutical drugs are negatively modified, creating a further toxic effect).
Len was held captive in the United Kingdom by the Official Solicitor to the High Court for almost eighteen months and medicated to the extent that he was incapable of legal discussion and understanding.
This is a timeline of events:
1989 to 2004 Leonard Lawrence’s employment as a Commercial Pilot
1989 to 1994 Leonard Lawrence was employed as a pilot by British Aerospace, Commercial Aircraft Division, flying the HS124 and BAe 146.
From 1995 to 2004 Leonard Lawrence worked as a pilot flying the HS125, BAe146, Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft.
29 November 1991 Leonard Lawrence’s first recorded fume event was with British Aerospace.
Flying a HS125 company aircraft during the take-off run having passed V1 (a speed at which the aircraft was committed to becoming airborne) the aircraft flight deck filled instantly with hot acrid fumes that were so dense it was made impossible to see the instruments and controls, impossible to breath, and blinding – due to burning on the eyes by the very hot oil vapour produced. On board the aircraft was Sir Charles Masefield, Managing Director of British Aerospace, Commercial Aircraft Division.
03 September 1993 Secret Settlement Agreement made between British Aerospace and Eastwest and Ansett Airlines (Australia) re oil fumes on the BAe146
None of which was disclosed to the House of Lords U.K. or the Australian Senate Inquiry of 1999.
‘Soon after delivery of the aircraft, it became apparent that the bleed air system in the aircraft periodically circulated an unpleasant smell throughout the cabin.
After detailed and protracted investigations, it was determined that a source of the smell was oil leakage from Allied Signal APU’s which entered the bleed air system through the air conditioning packs.’
http://bleedfree.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Tabled_documents_13August-highlights.pdf
08 April 1997 Wing Commander Professor Gordon Turnbull FRCPsych FRCP. RAF (Rtd) Consultant Advisor in Psychiatry to the United Kingdom, Civil Aviation Authority
Professor Turnbull identified a problem with Leonard Lawrence’s short term memory. (Later neurological investigations identified neurological absences as seen in other aircrew.) Leonard Lawrence was working as a commercial pilot flying the British Aerospace HS 125, BAe 146 and the Boeing 757 and Boeing 767.
02 November 1999 Australian Senate Inquiry: Hansard 2/11/99
The Senate was unaware at this time that payments had been made by BAe Systems to Eastwest and Ansett Airlines in 1993 in settlement for ‘obnoxious oil and other fumes affecting passenger cabins’:
‘Ansett and EWA have made certain written claims against BAe alleging defective design of the Aircraft resulting in the production of obnoxious oil and other (the "cabin environment problem") fumes affecting the passenger cabins of some or all of the Aircraft.’
“The source of the odours has been identified as primarily Mobil Jet Oil II leaking past oil seals in the engines and or APU unit into the air conditioning system”
12 November 1999 Flight BU925 BAe146
Captain Niels Gomer, 12 November 1999 Flight BU925
The incident was described by the Swedish Air Authorities as extremely serious. They found faulty seals which allowed highly toxic engine oil containing organophosphate to pollute the cabin air.
https://amp.theguardian.com/uk/2000/jun/04/antonybarnett.theobserver1
October 2004 Aviation Organophosphate Information Site (AOPIS)
Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Jeremy Royds, Cygnet Health Care, Godden Green, had in October 2004 been handed a DVD produced for the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) to raise awareness into the issue on fumes on commercial aircraft and the associated health and flight safety effects. The DVD was titled AOPIS "Cabin Air Contamination" - An Ongoing Health and Safety Issue. The DVD identified that Leonard Lawrence could have organophosphate poisoning and brain damage. Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Jeremy Royds issued a Court of Protection, Medical Certificate to Government Legal Services, London, United Kingdom.
- AOPIS Video 2004 (DVD mentioned above):
‘This was the first feature length documentary ever made about contaminated air. It was made 20 years ago this year. It was funded and made by crews who risked their jobs to make it. It was also part funded by AFAP - Australian Federation of Air Pilots, the first pilot union to investigate contaminated air. It shows the pioneers of the problem - the first people to speak out. Some are no longer with us.’ - Tristan Lorraine, former British Airways Captain and spokesperson for the Global Air Quality Executive Committee (GCAQE), who was also injured by Contaminated Air In Aircraft.
20-21 April 2005 British Airline Pilot Association (BALPA) two day International Contaminated Air Protection Conference in London
At this time Leonard Lawrence was being held by Government Legal Services, London, United Kingdom and very heavily sedated.
The British Airline Pilot Association (BALPA) later assisted Len financially to have specialist hospital medical tests and treatment
Closing Speech by the (then) General Secretary of the British Air Line Pilots Association - BALPA, Jim McAuslan:
28 January 2006 Professor Abou-Donia, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States
‘Ref: Leonard Lawrence Tau and MBP suggest the presence of moderate brain injury.’
‘Conclusion: Consistent with chemical induced nervous system injury.’
http://bleedfree.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/abou-donia-march-2013.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10186727/
16 August 2006 Lord Tyler asked Her Majesty’s Government
‘Whether they are aware of any payments made by British Aerospace Regional Aircraft Limited to Ansett Transport Industries Operations Limited and East West Airline Operations Limited, under an agreement dated 3rd September 1993, in connection with design flaws in the BAe 146 aircraft allowing contamination of cabin air by oil and other fumes; and, in light of that agreement, what steps they took at that time to ensure that regulations pertaining to cabin air quality were enforced.’
http://bleedfree.eu/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Tabled_documents_13August-highlights.pdf
21 October 2007 Sydney Morning Herald - Toxic Hush Money
https://amp.smh.com.au/lifestyle/toxic-hush-money-20071021-gdre5f.html
23 April 2007 Wing Commander Professor Gordon Turnbull FRCPsych FRCP. RAF (Rtd)Consultant Advisor in Psychiatry to the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority
Without the knowledge of the Official Solicitor, the British Airline Pilots Association directed Len to Professor Gordon Turnbull, FRCP FRCPsych (Psychiatric adviser to the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority) who reviewed the evidence, stopped all medication and Len was referred to Neurologists for brain damage assessment and treatment for organophosphate poisoning.
‘Re: Leonard Lawrence
I also spoke with Len Lawrence about the ongoing situation regarding the toxic effect of contaminated cabin air for which he has been investigated.
I have recommended to him that he really should become involved in follow-up because the evidence so far points to his having suffered from neuropsychological brain damage of a type that is seen in those who have been exposed to toxic cabin air.’
2011 Graham C. Holt. Collegium (Institute of Advance Study), Basel, Switzerland
Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry 11 (216-220):
"At this point the tenor of the presentation changed dramatically from calm, logic science to the harrowing story of one pilot, Len Lawrence…. His story was one of costly legal battles to prove that his brain injury was due to chemical exposure and that he was not mentally unfit. What emerged was a story of incompetence by the medical profession, who lacked knowledge of the symptoms following exposure to neurotoxins and the unfairness of the legal profession in not allowing him to see data concerning his own personal records in their reluctance to tackle those culpable.”
http://bleedfree.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/22HO11A.pdf
2011 Emeritus Professor of Medicinal Chemistry Malcolm Hooper
Journal of Biological Physics and Chemistry 11 (209-215): ‘In the Lawrence case there appears to be sound grounds for legal action and significant compensation claims for mistreatment and false diagnoses and an appalling failure of the duty of care.’
26 October 2011 The Boeing 787 Dreamliner
On the 26 October 2011 the Boeing 787 flew its first commercial flight.
The Boeing 787 does not use bleed air, the air conditioning packs are driven electrically rather than by engine bleed air.
Boeing had expressed very clearly the reasons why this aircraft would be better than bleed-air aircraft in their memorandum to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee in 2007:
‘The Boeing 787 will have a no-bleed architecture for the outside air supply to the cabin. This architecture eliminates the risk of engine oil decomposition products from being introduced in the cabin supply air in the rare event of a failed engine compressor seal. In addition, this architecture improves fuel efficiency, thus reducing fuel burn and associated engine emissions.’
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldselect/ldsctech/7/7we07.htm
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldselect/ldsctech/7/7we07.htm
Fumes onboard aircraft are not a ‘rare event’ and low-level contamination of the air supply is a regular occurrence onboard aircraft as confirmed in the U.K. Government funded Cranfield Air Sampling Study onboard aircraft of 2011.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=loUPzUwVIvDUX6dc&v=2rfGAHAmIBE&feature=youtu.be
19 March 2012. South West Regional Centre for Brain and Central Nervous System
NHS Inpatient Neurological Test results, under the care of two NHS Consultant Neurologists - Ambulatory electroencephalography (aEEG) Report
Findings of underlying cerebral dysfunctions on background EEC
EEG shows frequent intermittent bursts and runs of predominantly theta and some delta activity maximal over fronto-central and temporal regions. Underlying cerebral dysfunctions on background EEC.
https://www.unfiltered.vip/uploads/6/0/3/8/6038702/lawrence_leonard_-_f522756_-_hospital_notes.pdf
2012/2013 The Civil Court of Appeal, London, England, United Kingdom.
Len was awarded by the Legal Services Commission, Special Cases, Exceptional Funding, a Legal Aid Certificate.
70% of people with Acquired Brain Injury Injury (ABI) are divorced by their spouse, as was the case with Len.
Leonard Lawrence's Legal Aid Certificate stated:
‘The case poses a substantial question to be answered by the Civil Court of Appeal.’
The Legal Aid Certificate covered the failure of Government Legal Service lawyers to have safeguarded Leonard Lawrence's interest and their failure to disclose to the Court of Protection Leonard Lawrence's Court of Protection Medical Certificates.
Len’s home, savings and assets had been taken from him when he should have been protected.
Len was later informed that the Judge who dismissed his appeal (an appeal to stop what was happening to him) was not authorised to hear Court of Protection Cases. He was informed in 2022 that the official within the legal system who the appeal dismissal was forwarded to, had no authority within the Court of Protection either.
14th May 2014 The Health Impacts of Organophosphates. House of Commons, London, England, United Kingdom.
A copy of the secret settlement agreement between British Aerospace and others, together with Court of Protection Medical Certificates CP3’s and other documents were handed to Rt. Hon. Andy Burnham MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, by Leonard Lawrence in the presence of the Countess of Marr, Lord Tyler, Dr Sarah Mackenzie Ross Consultant Neuropsychologist, Neuropsychological Toxicology Unit, University College London and Dr Andrew Povey Reader in Molecular Epidemiology and others.
30 March 2022 Avon and Somerset Police
Avon and Somerset Police forced entry into Len’s home, arrested him (on charges which have subsequently been confirmed to have been fabricated) and attempted to detain him under the Mental Health Act.
Len was subjected to psychological abuse by three registered mental health nurses in a police cell. He was denied his right to solicitor, denied access to a doctor and was ridiculed by mental health professionals, one of whom accessed and wrote on his medical records that he was delusional and that his brain injury ID Card issued by Headway, The Brain Injury Association, was a fake.
Len's Headway Brain Injury Identity Card is genuine and was issued by Headway. It has the National Police Chief Council logo on the card. Len informed both Headway and Assisant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, Head of the National Police Chief Council, of the allegation made against him. There were more false and very serious allegations made against Len by Avon and Somerset Police and by Mental Health Nurses.
‘Which agencies support the card?
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), which covers England and Wales, Police Scotland, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland all recognise and endorse this card.’
https://www.headway.org.uk/supporting-you/brain-injury-identity-card/
2023 Disclosed by the Independent Office of Police Conduct
Official Professional Standards Department found that a senior member of Somerset and Avon Police caused an obstruction of justice in the case of Leonard Lawrence.
As well as this email:
Detective Superintendent xxxxxx xxxxx
Force Intelligence Officer, Devon and Cornwall Police.
Disclosure of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited
Email: Thames Valley Police to Devon and Cornwall Police
Entry 11/06/2013 at 21:05:49 Devon and Cornwall Police
‘This is all connected with a case where a large number of airline pilots received brain damage from the ingress of organophosphates into aircraft cabins. Mr Lawrence is such a victim and has received brain damage.’
Why would disclosure of pilots being caused brain damage be strictly prohibited?
- Most probably because of the continued cover up on the harm caused from exposure to fumes from aircraft engine oils and hydraulic fluids containing organophosphates.
- Which is the same as the cover up on the harm caused by agricultural pesticides and sheep-dips containing organophosphates.
https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1996/oct/30/organophosphate-pesticides
- And the same as the cover up on harm caused by organophosphate pesticides and low levels of the organophosphate nerve agent Sarin the Gulf War Veterans had been exposed to. (Some also had the addition of an Anthrax Vaccination, which is thought to have added to the issue in some cases.)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War_syndrome
https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/stories/what-is-gulf-war-illness
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-61398886
https://ptsdlawyers.com/anthrax-vaccine-presents-long-term-effects/
2024 - CD Containing medical records requested from South West Regional Centre (2012 testing) finally received by Leonard Lawrence
As shown above for 2012.
It is said by the U.K. Government and its committees that ‘there are gaps in the knowledge’ and ‘scientific uncertainty’ on this type of poisoning. This is due to the reluctance of the U.K. Government and the Aviation Industry to fund research, particularly epidemiological research on those who have been injured.
Fortunately independent scientific research is filling those gaps and scientific uncertainty.
The European Union and Countries within Europe independently are aware of the dangers of low level exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC’s) and are currently making changes to regulations to reflect the dangers.
An explanation of EDC’s:
In recent years it has been confirmed that many of the chemicals found in aircraft oil and hydraulic fluid are Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC’s). These are known to cause injury with repeated or prolonged exposure at low levels of exposure via hormonal pathways in the human body which can lead to numerous health issues and diseases.
https://www.endocrine.org/topics/edc/what-edcs-are/faq
In addition, the organophosphates (OP’s) used in aircraft engine oil and hydraulic fluid are EDC’s as well as being cytotoxic and genotoxic.
Organophosphates are also inhibitors of cholinesterase and the effects of repeated low level exposure were known, as shown from documents dating back to the 1950’s:
‘Successive small doses of parathion may progressively lower the cholinesterase level without producing symptoms, but may render the individual increasingly susceptible to further doses. Owing to the slow restoration of cholinesterase to its normal level, this susceptibility will persist for a long time, maybe for some weeks.’
http://www.oprus2001.co.uk/zuck1951.htm
There weren’t any gaps, because the original knowledge was there and should have evolved, but instead, it was hidden away so that no one knew about it.
Unfortunately, health care professionals in the U.K. were never informed or educated on this type of poisoning. Hence GP’s not knowing what is wrong with patients who present with symptoms of Aerotoxic Syndrome or what to do to help them.
To this day, tests for Red Blood Cell and Plasma Cholinesterase levels are not readily available in hospitals for those who have been exposed during fume events onboard aircraft to high level doses of toxic chemical mixtures which contain organophosphates. It’s also doubtful they have been made aware of the Endocrine effects.
The most disturbing thing revealed is the weaponisation of psychiatry and psychology which are used to deflect the physical harm caused by toxicity, with suggestions that those who have been injured became ill not through toxic mechanisms, but through psychological mechanisms.
It happened to Len Lawrence and it has happened in other cases.
This is actually written on the CAA’s website despite there being no scientific research, evidence or peer reviewed studies to support such a theory:
‘In addition to the occurrence of acute health effects, a small number of people have attributed longer term illness to one or more contamination incidents or to repeated exposure to lower levels of contamination. However, it is currently unclear whether any form of long-term illness occurs to excess in people with such exposures, and if so, whether it arises through toxic or nocebo mechanisms. From what is currently known about the concentrations of potentially toxic chemicals in contaminated air, long-term toxic effects would not be expected, but this remains an area of scientific uncertainty. (see Further reading 1,2)
Nocebo effect Note: Illness, often with physical symptoms and signs, which is triggered through psychological processes in response to a perceived harmful exposure. The phenomenon is analogous to a placebo effect in which symptoms improve in response to a perceived beneficial exposure.’
Len’s fight against a system which has unfortunately been corrupted by some unscrupulous individuals is still a work in progress and there is hope that matters will be rectified in due course and that those responsible for causing the additional suffering will be held accountable for their actions.
Despite all of this and his ongoing health issues, Len is an intelligent man with tenacity and a positive outlook which enables him to continue.
He is a survivor and a determined one at that.
The hazard of contaminated air in aircraft was known in the 1950’s
https://wirralinittogether.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/screenshot_20230311_161831.jpg
The possible long-term health effects of exposure were not known in those early days, but they knew something had to be done about the contamination.
As we now know, breathing polluted, toxic air is a health concern as old as jet travel.
More information:
The 'asbestos of the airline industry' killing flyers | 60 Minutes Australia
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D97No_7fbR4
Flight attendants: Boeing's cabin air can turn toxic - CBS Evening News Report
https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=IiDS5sKdgyj40iL-&v=bOZYBdiPEfI&feature=youtu.be
Fume events: The toxic gases that may be harming aircrew and passengers
BBC - 25 February 2020
https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-51633897
Published Fume Events can be viewed on the Aviation Herald Website (use the ‘Next’ button top left hand side of the page to see more):
https://avherald.com/h?search_term=Fumes&opt=0&dosearch=1&search.x=0&search.y=0
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