Harvard study links air quality to air safety
On Jan. 15, 2009, Capt. Chesley Sullenberger carefully glided his US Airways Airbus A320 onto the Hudson River minutes after the plane lost both its engines. The miraculous touchdown saved all 155 passengers and crew. On the tape of his exchange with air traffic control, Sullenberger could be heard calmly working to avert catastrophe. Pilots face extreme pressure, both on the tarmac and in the air, and their ability to focus is critical to the safety of all those on board. But what happens to their performance when the air quality in the cockpit is less than ideal? In a study by investigators at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a pilot’s ability to perform well on a series of stressful maneuvers dipped when levels of carbon dioxide on the flight deck rose. The research, supported by a gift from United Technologies to the Chan School’s Center for Climate, Health,...