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FACT BRIEF

Did four British Airways pilots die in one week after getting the COVID-19 vaccine?

By Alexis Tereszcuk
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NO

Four pilots for the airline did die but not within one week, and there is no proof any died from a COVID-19 vaccine.

An article published online makes the implication the deaths were linked. But two passed away in June 2021, another died in May. There is no public information on the fourth pilot's date of death. 

The airline has not mandated the COVID-19 vaccine its for pilots.

Pilot Nicholas Synnott, 60, died in June 2021 after spending 243 days during 2020 being treated for COVID-19 in a Houston hospital.

Edward Brice-Bennett, 33, died on a mountain trail bike park in June 2021.

The fundraising pages for another deceased pilot notes any leftover funds would be donated to a group working against suicide.

"There is no truth whatsoever in the claims on social media speculating that the four deaths are linked," BA told Lead Stories.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Yahoo News British Airways pilot who spent 243 days in a Texas hospital with Covid dies in a UK hospital
New Valley News (Salisbury, England) Airline pilot in mystery death
JustGiving BA Pilot Grant Mercer fundraising/anti-suicide group
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.