![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/united-kingdom-792564469.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTWO British Airways pilots dramatically \u2018fell ill\u2019 and donned oxygen masks in the cockpit during a flight to London today.<\/p>\n
The Captain and First Officer radioed ahead to emergency services at 30,000ft after reporting a \u201cfoul odour\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The flight landed watched by ambulance and fire teams.<\/p>\n
The pilot pair were taken to hospital by hazardous response experts after suffering from \u2018smoke inhalation\u2019.<\/p>\n
They managed to land the packed passenger plane at Heathrow airport after take-off from Newcastle.<\/p>\n
It was feared the duo had suffered exposure to toxic chemicals.<\/p>\n
The two-man cockpit team left the aircraft and got to BA\u2019s Crew Report Centre before being assessed by medical staff.\u00a0<\/p>\n They were then taken to hospital for further tests.<\/p>\n One source told The Sun: \u201cThis was a shocking incident. The immediate concern is obviously for the two pilots.<\/p>\n \u201cBut also striking is the worry about what could have happened had these two cockpit crew been intoxicated when they were still at the controls of a crowded jet at 25,000ft. It doesn\u2019t bear thinking about.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cInvestigations have started into this alarming incident.\u201d<\/p>\n Ambulances and fire crews were called to BA\u2019s Crew Report Centre.<\/p>\n The pilots had been at the controls of BA Shuttle 13C which took off from Newcastle with up to 180 passengers on board at 7.41am \u2013 one hour and 41 minutes after its scheduled 6am departure.<\/p>\n The Airbus A320 twin-jet took 91 minutes to land at Heathrow\u2019s Terminal 5 at 9.14am \u2013 one hour and 54 minutes later than originally planned.<\/p>\n BA has been hit by a series of \u2018toxic fume events\u2019. The Sun told how in 2019 the airline had 291 such events reported.<\/p>\n In 2016 BA denied accusations they downplayed an incident that left 25 cabin crew in hospital after toxic fumes leaked into the jet of a San Francisco-bound flight.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Unite union said that BA was attempting to spin the nature of such instances and \u201cmanipulate\u201d statistics \u201cto downplay how widespread the problem really is in the industry\u201d. <\/p>\n BA said it encourages staff to report safety worries and always passes them on to the Civil Aviation Authority.<\/p>\n Last night the London Ambulance Service said of the Heathrow drama:\u00a0\u201cWe were called at 10.39am on 19 October to reports of an incident at\u00a0Terminal 5 Heathrow Airport, Hounslow.<\/p>\n \u201cWe sent an ambulance crew, an incident response officer and members of our hazardous area response team to the scene.<\/p>\n \u201cWe treated two patients at the scene for smoke inhalation and took them to a local hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/KH_19_10_STORM_BABET_v2_COMP-1.jpg\")
<\/picture>RED ALERT <\/span><\/p>\nEntire town told to evacuate as Storm Babet sparks \u2018danger to life\u2019 red warning<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/brutal-experience-teacher-won-45k-853397290-1.png\")
<\/picture>'BRUTAL' LIES <\/span><\/p>\nTeacher sacked after students made up sex assault stories about him wins \u00a345k<\/h3>\n
Most read in The Sun<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/lc-comp-noddy2-191023.jpg\")
<\/picture>SECRET FIGHT <\/span><\/p>\nSlade’s Noddy Holder in five year cancer battle and was given 6 months to live<\/h3>\n
<\/picture>RED ALERT <\/span><\/p>\nEntire town told to evacuate as Storm Babet sparks \u2018danger to life\u2019 red warning<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/newspress-collage-24446385-1697651863286.jpg\")
<\/picture>WIFE STRIFE <\/span><\/p>\nJames Haskell spotted without wedding ring – as wife Chloe takes hers off<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/mike-skinner-british-rapper-musician-851378323.jpg\")
<\/picture>candid <\/span><\/p>\nI was one of the UK’s biggest music stars – but I lost thousands ‘betting’<\/h3>\n
Read More on The Sun<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/picture-showing-christmas-ham-served-701517079-1.jpg\")
<\/picture>![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/RB-COMP-BB7-2.jpg\")
<\/picture>