Prince William’s former flying instructor dies ‘after years of inhaling fumes’
12 February 2025, 07:49
Prince William’s flying instructor from his days in the military has died after years of exposure to helicopter fumes.
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Flight Sergeant Zach Stubbings died aged 47 after a decade of battling blood and bone marrow cancer known as multiple myeloma.
Helicopter ace and father of three Stubbings was first diagnosed with cancer in 2013 after a thirteen-year career in RAF Search and Rescue.
Mr Stubbings trained Prince William when he was stationed at RAF Valley in Anglesey from 2010 to 2013.
Former Navy Commander Richard Sutton confirmed the helicopter pilot's death, paying tribute to him as a "lively and bubbly guy" and describing his passing as "yet another blow" for his wife Anna-Louise.
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Mr Stubbings previously opened up about inhaling black exhaust fumes from the many helicopters he flew.
He told the MailOnline: "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.
"We had to clean everything. It didn't feel right. There was no protection, nothing. We all complained about it."
He would often get "a face full" of the toxic fumes, he added.
An MoD spokesman said: “Any death is a tragedy and our thoughts are with the family and friends of Zack Stubbins at this difficult time.
“We take the health of our personnel extremely seriously and regularly review our processes to ensure that we’re doing what we can to keep our people safe.
“We are in the process of testing the exhaust emissions of in-service helicopters, to ensure that we are meeting our duty of care for personnel.
"It is essential that we can assure our people of their safety at work.”
