March 23, 2008 Israeli Fighters Grounded In Cancer Scare

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By Russ Niles, Editor-in-Chief

Israeli fighter pilots routinely face a variety of on-the-job hazards but they likely didn’t expect a threat from inside the cockpit. According to YNet News pilots are being tested for cancer after a high concentration of formaldehyde was found in the cockpit of one of its F-16I (Storm) fighters. Now the Israeli air force is saying that most Storm pilots were exposed to the chemical. Intense exposure can cause cancer but Israeli officials say that the chance of the pilots developing the disease is remote.

The investigation began after pilots complained about a pungent odor in one aircraft. The rest of the aircraft were initially cleared but they remain grounded until more thorough tests are done. There’s no word on the source of the chemical or when the Storms will be cleared for flight.