Carbon monoxide
Where CO comes from in a light airplane, what it feels like, and the immediate actions.
10 min read · Human factors
After this lesson you can
- Explain why carbon monoxide is dangerous out of proportion to its concentration in the air.
- Identify the typical entry point for CO in a piston-engine airplane.
- Recognize the progression of CO poisoning symptoms and react correctly in flight.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas produced by every internal combustion engine. Nothing about the cabin environment announces its presence, and its early symptoms feel like ordinary fatigue or the start of a cold — exactly the kind of thing a tired pilot dismisses.
In a typical piston single, the source is structural: the cabin heater warms air by routing it around the exhaust system. A single crack in that exhaust is enough to let combustion gases into the cabin.
The rest of this lesson
- 1.Why so little does so much damage
- 2.The symptoms
- 3.Smelling it before you feel it
- 4.Reacting
- 5.Where carbon monoxide fits in the bigger picture
These 5 sections, their figures, the checks along the way and the end-of-lesson quiz come with the PPL track. Paid once, yours for good.
Key terms
Try to recall each definition before turning the card.