Narrative:

At approximately XA00 on mar/xx/94 I was asked to contact an inbound flight to san salvador to determine whether additional passenger oxygen was boarded in miami. This oxygen was to be used on flight from sal to mia for passenger coming to united states for emergency surgery. As it turned out miami did not board the oxygen. Sal operations would then contact the passenger to arrange alternate travel or a different oxygen source. Just prior to landing I was informed that passenger was at the gate and our flight was the only possible means of transport on this day. At first it was thought passenger had their own oxygen, but doctor caring for patient left the terminal and took the oxygen with him. The patient was literally dying in the terminal. A continuous phone line was kept open between the flight's captain and myself. He was coordinating activities at his end the best he could. He did not speak spanish and the patient and his parents did not speak english so language was obviously a problem. Many ideas were considered in how to best transport the person safely. But his condition was deteriorating and additional oxygen was not found. It was at this point I was relieved by another dispatcher during a routine shift change. I later learned that oxygen was borrowed from airport crash, fire and rescue. The patient was transported and made it safely to the city in which he was to be operated. I was told the oxygen bottle was stamped FAA approved. Upon reflection later, the oxygen bottle involved may not have met the requirements of far 121.574. But in the interest of a medical emergency, I believe the correct action was taken by all parties involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DISPATCHER QUESTIONS THE LEGALITY OF USING CFR OXYGEN BOTTLE FOR PAX MEDICAL USE WHILE AIRBORNE.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 ON MAR/XX/94 I WAS ASKED TO CONTACT AN INBOUND FLT TO SAN SALVADOR TO DETERMINE WHETHER ADDITIONAL PAX OXYGEN WAS BOARDED IN MIAMI. THIS OXYGEN WAS TO BE USED ON FLT FROM SAL TO MIA FOR PAX COMING TO UNITED STATES FOR EMER SURGERY. AS IT TURNED OUT MIAMI DID NOT BOARD THE OXYGEN. SAL OPS WOULD THEN CONTACT THE PAX TO ARRANGE ALTERNATE TRAVEL OR A DIFFERENT OXYGEN SOURCE. JUST PRIOR TO LNDG I WAS INFORMED THAT PAX WAS AT THE GATE AND OUR FLT WAS THE ONLY POSSIBLE MEANS OF TRANSPORT ON THIS DAY. AT FIRST IT WAS THOUGHT PAX HAD THEIR OWN OXYGEN, BUT DOCTOR CARING FOR PATIENT LEFT THE TERMINAL AND TOOK THE OXYGEN WITH HIM. THE PATIENT WAS LITERALLY DYING IN THE TERMINAL. A CONTINUOUS PHONE LINE WAS KEPT OPEN BTWN THE FLT'S CAPT AND MYSELF. HE WAS COORDINATING ACTIVITIES AT HIS END THE BEST HE COULD. HE DID NOT SPEAK SPANISH AND THE PATIENT AND HIS PARENTS DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH SO LANGUAGE WAS OBVIOUSLY A PROB. MANY IDEAS WERE CONSIDERED IN HOW TO BEST TRANSPORT THE PERSON SAFELY. BUT HIS CONDITION WAS DETERIORATING AND ADDITIONAL OXYGEN WAS NOT FOUND. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I WAS RELIEVED BY ANOTHER DISPATCHER DURING A ROUTINE SHIFT CHANGE. I LATER LEARNED THAT OXYGEN WAS BORROWED FROM ARPT CRASH, FIRE AND RESCUE. THE PATIENT WAS TRANSPORTED AND MADE IT SAFELY TO THE CITY IN WHICH HE WAS TO BE OPERATED. I WAS TOLD THE OXYGEN BOTTLE WAS STAMPED FAA APPROVED. UPON REFLECTION LATER, THE OXYGEN BOTTLE INVOLVED MAY NOT HAVE MET THE REQUIREMENTS OF FAR 121.574. BUT IN THE INTEREST OF A MEDICAL EMER, I BELIEVE THE CORRECT ACTION WAS TAKEN BY ALL PARTIES INVOLVED.

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.