For years, Zach Stubbings soared through the skies, serving with distinction as a Royal Air Force Search and Rescue winchman. But the same aircraft that carried him on daring rescues may have also sealed his fate. The former flight sergeant, who once trained Prince William, has died of cancer at just 47, after what many believe was prolonged exposure to toxic exhaust fumes from military helicopters.
His passing marks yet another tragedy in an unfolding crisis, as dozens of RAF and Navy veterans continue their legal battle against the Ministry of Defence (MoD), claiming it failed to protect them from lethal airborne toxins.
A Life of Service, Cut Short
Zach was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare cancer of the blood and bone marrow, in 2013, thirteen years after he joined the RAF at just 21. Despite enduring over a decade of grueling treatment, he passed away last month in hospice care, leaving behind his wife, Anna-Louise, and three children.
For Anna-Louise, Zach’s death is yet another devastating loss. In 2015, her first husband and seven-year-old son were killed by a careless driver. Now, she faces another unimaginable grief.
Former Royal Navy commander and fellow pilot Richard Sutton, himself battling a rare and aggressive cancer, spoke of the shock of losing Zach, calling him a “lively and bubbly guy”. Richard, who first met Zach in 2015 while working for coastguard search and rescue, said his passing is “yet another massive blow” for Anna-Louise and their family.
The RAF Cancer Crisis
Zach’s death is part of a much larger and growing tragedy. Hundreds of former RAF and Navy personnel have developed rare and deadly cancers, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, throat, lung, and testicular cancer, after years of flying in military helicopters, including the Sea King, Wessex, Puma, and Chinook.
Veterans like Zach and Richard claim that the MoD has known for more than a decade about the dangers of toxic exhaust fumes yet failed to act. Legal documents have revealed that concerns over the Sea King’s emissions date back to at least 1999, yet no additional safety precautions were put in place.
In an interview last year, Zach described the conditions he and his colleagues endured:
“If you’re by the cargo door, the exhaust comes right through. Even worse, if you’re working on the winch, which I was, you’re putting your head right out into it,” he recalled.
“Sometimes the wind whipped it away, but mostly it pulled the fumes back so you got a face full and would be coughing and eyes streaming. And the smell! We had to clean everything. It didn’t feel right. There was no protection, nothing. We all complained about it.”
Despite repeated warnings and complaints from aircrew, no significant changes were made. Now, the consequences are becoming painfully clear.
A Fight for Justice
The legal battle against the MoD is growing. Last year, The Times reported that nearly 40 RAF personnel diagnosed with cancer were suing the government. That number is now expected to double in the coming weeks.
Richard Sutton, who has flown more than 3,500 hours in Sea Kings, was diagnosed 12 years ago with epithelioid fibrosarcoma, a rare and often fatal bone cancer that spread throughout his body. After multiple surgeries, one tumour grew so large it crushed his windpipe, leaving him gasping for breath. Doctors warned him he had less than a year to live.
Against all odds, a complex operation in 2023 removed the tumour, giving Richard a second chance. But he remains one of the last survivors of a tight-knit group of aircrew battling cancer.
In 2013, Zach and Richard co-founded Fly Hard, Fight Hard, a support group for former military aircrew suffering from cancer. Their motto, “Shoulder to Shoulder,” reflected their bond and shared fight for recognition.
Of the original five members, two passed away in 2023. In the past 20 months, four more have died. Today, only two of the eight original members remain.
An Ironic Legacy
For men like Zach and Richard, flying military helicopters wasn’t just a job, it was a calling. Yet the aircraft they dedicated their lives to may have ultimately led to their deaths.
“The irony of me having the career of my dreams is that it may be the cause of my cancer,” Richard reflected.
As more veterans step forward and legal battles intensify, the question remains: will the Ministry of Defence finally acknowledge the risks that so many have paid the ultimate price for?
