Date: Mon, 05 Jul 1999 14:11:56 -0400 To: pubinq@ntsb.gov From: Betty Martini Subject: Why American Airlines has High Rate of Crashes - To National Transporation Safety Board To: National Transportation Safety Board A June 25 Atlanta Constitution article questioned the high rate of American Airline crashes. I think many AAL pilots are being gradually poisoned by a fatal chemical additive that erodes their vision and mental faculties: aspartame/NutraSweet/Equal Barbara Mullarkey, an Illinois journalist, wrote AAL requesting this neurotoxin be removed from the diets of pilots and crew in the late 80's, and their president responded "Leave the flying to us!" The real danger was plainly identified in an official U.S. Air Force publication: People have suffered aspartame related disorders with doses as small as that carried in a single stick of chewing gum. This could mean a pilot who drinks diet sodas is more susceptible to flicker vertigo or to flicker induced epileptic activity. It also means ALL PILOTS ARE POTENTIAL VICTIMS OF SUDDEN MEMORY LOSS, DIZZINESS DURING INSTRUMENT FLIGHT, AND GRADUAL LOSS OF VISION" Flying Safety, May 1992 Neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock, M.D. in his book Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills ( 1 800 - 643-2665) explained that aspartame literally stimulates brain neurons to death and depletes insulin inducing hypoglycemia and seizures. Further, the phenylalanine in aspartame drops the brain's seizure threshold, depletes serotonin, triggers panic attacks, paranoia, manic depression, rage, suicidal tendencies. Aspartame impairs concentration and thinking ability and causes severe memory loss. Indeed, it is even escalating Alzheimers (Defense Against Alzheimers Disease by H. J. Roberts, M.D., 1 800 - 814-9800). American Captain Fred Fox, retired, petitioned American to remove Equal. He piloted long flights to Hawaii, sipping coffee laced with Equal and developed atrial fibrillation. AAL refused. Another AAL pilot and heavy aspartame user, Joe Neill, died in flight. I spoke with his widow who was very upset that American had an unauthorized autopsy performed on his brain but refused to let her see the report. American Captain Paul Callahan was also an aspartame user and sustained a grand mal seizure, was grounded, developed a brain tumor and died. Years before the laboratory rats tested with aspartame developed astrocytoma brain tumors. Secret trade information (www.dorway.com) reveals the original manufacturer admitting they had to consider complete conversion to the brain tumor agent, DKP and if they told the FDA it wouldn't get approved. They had no concern that the consumer public would also sustain these tumors. This problem was investigated by the renowned Dr. John Olney, founder of the neuroscience field of excitotoxicity, who made world news in l996 over the aspartame/brain tumor association escalating in the public. H. J. Roberts, M.D., designated as the "Best Doctor in the United States" by the medical journal Practice 84 has authored several books on Aspartame and now declares Aspartame Disease to be a world plague. He is currently publishing a 700 page medical text on this epidemic in 100 countries of the world where aspartame is marketed. It originally had a drug application but this was withdrawn to be marketed as an additive so no safety monitoring would be required. It interacts with drugs including monoamine oxidase inhibitors, alpha-methyldopa and L- dihydroxphenylalanine. It triggers an irregular heart rhythm and Dr. Roberts says doctors not realizing aspartame is a drug are medicating the patients. The drugs can interact and cause complete heart block or sudden death from myocardial infarction. The FDA has more consumer complaints about aspartame than any other additive in history. In Congress it was admitted that to get rid of complaints the FDA was referring them to the AIDS Hotline. They published a list of 10,000 consumer complaints which requires a Freedom of Information process. The report names 92 symptoms including 4 types of seizures, coma and death. In l986 the Community Nutrition Institute petitioned the FDA to ban aspartame because so many were going blind but FDA's loyalty was with Monsanto. Of course, every burglar has an alibi and NutraSweet was considered too rich a gold mine to abandon; what matter the suffering and death. There's a determined conspiracy to cover the truth with a smoke screen of corporate and government lies. CDC did a damning investigation that disclosed aggression, disorientation, hyperactivity, extreme numbness, excitability, memory destruction, loss of depth perception, liver impairment, seizures, mood swings, cardiac arrest and DEATH. Then CDC's Fred Trowbridge slathered over the grim truth with an executive summary contradicting the report saying: "Available information indicated a wide variety of complaints generally of a mild nature." CDC sends out his summary, not the report itself and tells inquirers the Wolf is Red Ridinghood's best friend! Flying Safety got the summary and revised their evaluation of aspartame, so I called their editor and sent the complete 146 page CDC report which is now on www.dorway.com After reviewing it the editor agreed they had erred but said she would not retract it. I said: "Mark my words, the next time a pilot dies from aspartame the airline will use your false article in their defense. Sure enough, after the last AAL pilot died Captain Fred Fox wrote them, and received a copy of the Flying Safety article as their response. It is my firm opinion that industry and politics got to Flying Safety since Monsanto knows we quote Flying Safety's original article on our warning flyer. It just isn't the professional language of the United States Air Force to make such remarks as "aspartame is just living and breathing"! In reality aspartame disease is "disability and not breathing - death"! I said I'd fly down to New Mexico to see the editor; immediately on the defensive, she said: "I'll not talk to you, but I'll give you the name of a Major in PR." The Major wouldn't discuss aspartame but said someone in the Pentagon would call me, which never happened. So in January 1998 I flew TWA to New Mexico to pass out "pilot packets" at Kirkland Air Force Base. A TWA stewardess said diet drinks in pregnancy gave her baby a brain tumor and a pilot on TWA also was diagnosed. Louis Elsas, M.D., pediatric professor, genetics, at Emory University, testified before Congress that aspartame is a teratogen (triggers birth defects) and neurotoxin. Two Kirkland pilots called to thank for the information which may save their lives and some $50 million aircraft.. Now we see Coke filing dumpsters with $60,000,000 worth of their product and claiming "mass hysteria, chlorocresols from the skids, or fungicide contamination." Came right thru the cans, it did ..Wow! Methinks the problem be aspartame, since I have thousands of case histories reporting the exact symptoms that put the kids in European hospitals! Why AAL prefers diet drinks to pilots, passengers and planes surpasses understanding! Hardcopy interviewed Captain Harold Wilson who used aspartame and with absolutely no warning collapsed over the throttles, went totally unconscious, disengaging the autopilot. The passenger who took control of the plane used the radio to ask for help. A Navy P3 Orion patrol plane in the vicinity responded and was able to effectively instruct the passenger. Captain Wilson was seen by a neurology specialist at Seattle's Virginia Mason Hospital, and when told of strange smell-auras, he immediately recognized them as a definite precursor to seizure activity. Hardcopy also interviewed Haynes Dunn, who flew for Continental until he had a aspartame grand mal seizure and was grounded for life. After the interview Dunn lost his job and pension. Same old story: Shoot the messenger! For a river of information, government documents, doctors reports and case histories as well as links to hundreds of asparkiller sites click www.dorway.com As founder of Mission Possible International, a volunteer hands-around- the-world movement with activists in many states and nations I ask American Airlines: Is it worth the risk? Now Monsanto is asking the FDA to approve an even more potent aspartame, Neotame. Dr. Roberts in a novel, a warning to the world, the Cacof Conspiracy, writes about a new millennial sweetener. One of the chapters is titled Disasters and Near- Disasters on Air, Land and Sea! He has also provided tapes on aspartame as a serious hazard to aviation. A recent study in Spain on aspartame has shown that the formaldehyde accumulates in the cells and damages DNA with 50% toxicity in the liver and substantial amounts in the adipose tissues, retina, kidneys and brain. Also consider that Dr. Kessler before he left the FDA granted blanket approval to the drug aspartame to be used like sugar. Imagine the synergistic effect and if mixed with the excitotoxin MSG. Our life is in the hands of the pilots. Aspartame is embalming them and destroys their brain, their vision, their central nervous system and their immune system. It ravages every organ in the body and triggers grand mal seizures and cardiac problems. Aspartame/NutraSweet/Equal, etc. is one of the greatest hazards to Aviation. The FAA coped out with "we can't do anything until the FDA does." All case histories have been sent to former acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Michael Friedman. Two weeks ago Monsanto hired him. Their revolving door is legend. FDA in my opinion is Monsanto's Washington Branch office. No government agency has had the courage to do something about this situation. What say the National Transportation Safety Board? Do you have the power to bring safety back to aviation? One pilot told me that on aspartame he simply could not make a decision and crashed his plane. How many more will there be? Right now its the Monsanto Chemical Company/FDA against the world? Respectfully, Betty Martini, Founder Mission Possible Aviation, a Division of Mission Possible International 770 242-2599