Narrative:

Flight psp-dfw. An elderly man was boarded in psp using therapeutic oxygen. He had a tracheotomy and had his own throat tubes connected to oxygen bottle. The bottle had a 3 plus hour life but he had been using it prior to boarding and the departure was delayed. He must use oxygen at all times (even on ground). En route it was determined that a second therapeutic bottle could not be connected and activated in the cabin due to flight attendant regulations. His hose connections were not compatible with the walk around oxygen bottle and no other solid state oxygen was available. He could not a mask type due to throat tubes. Monitoring his rate of use against flight time remaining showed it would be very close on arrival at dfw. The other option was an air interrupt to go outside the aircraft to hook up the other bottle and then continue to dfw. The flight attendant minimum bottle pressure is 300 pounds and then it must be changed. We accelerated to maximum speed. In contact with ZFW they asked for a speed of 250 KTS. I (captain) told them we were dealing with an ill passenger situation and could we keep the speed up. They said ok. In contact with regional approach I said we were dealing with an ill passenger situation and racing the clock and could they work out an east runway (closer to gate). They said ok, runway 35L. At no time did I declare an emergency or medical emergency. They offered assistance on the ground. I declined. We landed and taxied expeditiously to the gate. Passenger exited and we hooked up second bottle on jet bridge with only a few pounds over 300 remaining on original bottle. At no time did ATC ask if we were declaring an emergency or medical emergency. They were very helpful. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the oxygen bottles involved belonged to the air carrier. The flight attendant manual states that the bottle should not be used when the pressure drops to 300 pounds. Reporter was not sure why. Also, at one time, when a pair of oxygen bottles were being exchanged, one of them exploded. Thus the prohibition about changing them in-flight. Getting to the bottom of the matter, the air carrier ground services people should have prepared the oxygen bottles so that they could be easily and quickly exchanged but they failed to do so. Lacking this preflight preparation, the cabin attendants were not permitted to make the changes necessary in-flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG RECEIVES PRIORITY HANDLING WHEN A PAX RUNS LOW ON THERAPEUTIC OXYGEN.

Narrative: FLT PSP-DFW. AN ELDERLY MAN WAS BOARDED IN PSP USING THERAPEUTIC OXYGEN. HE HAD A TRACHEOTOMY AND HAD HIS OWN THROAT TUBES CONNECTED TO OXYGEN BOTTLE. THE BOTTLE HAD A 3 PLUS HR LIFE BUT HE HAD BEEN USING IT PRIOR TO BOARDING AND THE DEP WAS DELAYED. HE MUST USE OXYGEN AT ALL TIMES (EVEN ON GND). ENRTE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A SECOND THERAPEUTIC BOTTLE COULD NOT BE CONNECTED AND ACTIVATED IN THE CABIN DUE TO FLT ATTENDANT REGS. HIS HOSE CONNECTIONS WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE WALK AROUND OXYGEN BOTTLE AND NO OTHER SOLID STATE OXYGEN WAS AVAILABLE. HE COULD NOT A MASK TYPE DUE TO THROAT TUBES. MONITORING HIS RATE OF USE AGAINST FLT TIME REMAINING SHOWED IT WOULD BE VERY CLOSE ON ARR AT DFW. THE OTHER OPTION WAS AN AIR INTERRUPT TO GO OUTSIDE THE ACFT TO HOOK UP THE OTHER BOTTLE AND THEN CONTINUE TO DFW. THE FLT ATTENDANT MINIMUM BOTTLE PRESSURE IS 300 LBS AND THEN IT MUST BE CHANGED. WE ACCELERATED TO MAX SPD. IN CONTACT WITH ZFW THEY ASKED FOR A SPD OF 250 KTS. I (CAPT) TOLD THEM WE WERE DEALING WITH AN ILL PAX SIT AND COULD WE KEEP THE SPD UP. THEY SAID OK. IN CONTACT WITH REGIONAL APCH I SAID WE WERE DEALING WITH AN ILL PAX SIT AND RACING THE CLOCK AND COULD THEY WORK OUT AN E RWY (CLOSER TO GATE). THEY SAID OK, RWY 35L. AT NO TIME DID I DECLARE AN EMER OR MEDICAL EMER. THEY OFFERED ASSISTANCE ON THE GND. I DECLINED. WE LANDED AND TAXIED EXPEDITIOUSLY TO THE GATE. PAX EXITED AND WE HOOKED UP SECOND BOTTLE ON JET BRIDGE WITH ONLY A FEW LBS OVER 300 REMAINING ON ORIGINAL BOTTLE. AT NO TIME DID ATC ASK IF WE WERE DECLARING AN EMER OR MEDICAL EMER. THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE OXYGEN BOTTLES INVOLVED BELONGED TO THE ACR. THE FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL STATES THAT THE BOTTLE SHOULD NOT BE USED WHEN THE PRESSURE DROPS TO 300 LBS. RPTR WAS NOT SURE WHY. ALSO, AT ONE TIME, WHEN A PAIR OF OXYGEN BOTTLES WERE BEING EXCHANGED, ONE OF THEM EXPLODED. THUS THE PROHIBITION ABOUT CHANGING THEM INFLT. GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MATTER, THE ACR GND SVCS PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE PREPARED THE OXYGEN BOTTLES SO THAT THEY COULD BE EASILY AND QUICKLY EXCHANGED BUT THEY FAILED TO DO SO. LACKING THIS PREFLT PREPARATION, THE CABIN ATTENDANTS WERE NOT PERMITTED TO MAKE THE CHANGES NECESSARY INFLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.