Cabin attendant became ill due to lack of oxygen.

Attributes
ACN	274862
Time
Date	199406
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : roc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : roc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6300 flight time type : 3600
ASRS Report	274862
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were completing the last segment on a 4 leg day. The aircraft had a write-up concerning a noisy main cabin door (squeal under pressure station due to a bad door seal). The item was deferred and released by our maintenance. After the first leg, the flight attendant complained that the noise was too much, and some passenger had complained too. Upon arrival at our hub, maintenance cleaned and secured the seal in an effort to remedy the noise problem. As this did not fix the noise, the only other option was to operate unpressurized. Maintenance deactivated the pressurization, made the appropriate sign offs, and we were on our way. This was not without a lengthy delay and the cancellation of one of the intermediate revenue legs. The flight attendant was feeling bad about the inconvenience being caused, and no doubt she must have been a bit stressed. The captain briefed her on the physiological effects of unpressurized flight (she is also a smoker), and she was ok with it. We departed for roc. The altitude was 10000 ft, the maximum altitude for unpressurized. 1/2 way through the flight she called the cockpit to see if we needed anything (to eat or drink). She seemed fine. About 20 mins out of roc, she called, gasping, saying she 'couldn't breath and couldn't get the bracket off' (the oxygen bottle). The captain immediately bolted back, instructing me to call for medical assistance. We landed. She was taken off and administered oxygen and refused further attention. The flight attendant (and the pilots) were taken quite unaware by this occurrence. Even knowing about the physiological effects was not adequate. Perhaps emphasis should be greater in training, and emphasize the effects on smokers. When the captain was assisting her, he wasn't sure if the oxygen was flowing properly. (It was, but due to the flight attendant's panicked state, its effect was diminished.) we're all trained on the where's and how's of emergency equipment, but perhaps a little more 'hands on' operation would be in order.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT BECAME ILL DUE TO LACK OF OXYGEN.

Narrative: WE WERE COMPLETING THE LAST SEGMENT ON A 4 LEG DAY. THE ACFT HAD A WRITE-UP CONCERNING A NOISY MAIN CABIN DOOR (SQUEAL UNDER PRESSURE STATION DUE TO A BAD DOOR SEAL). THE ITEM WAS DEFERRED AND RELEASED BY OUR MAINT. AFTER THE FIRST LEG, THE FLT ATTENDANT COMPLAINED THAT THE NOISE WAS TOO MUCH, AND SOME PAX HAD COMPLAINED TOO. UPON ARR AT OUR HUB, MAINT CLEANED AND SECURED THE SEAL IN AN EFFORT TO REMEDY THE NOISE PROB. AS THIS DID NOT FIX THE NOISE, THE ONLY OTHER OPTION WAS TO OPERATE UNPRESSURIZED. MAINT DEACTIVATED THE PRESSURIZATION, MADE THE APPROPRIATE SIGN OFFS, AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY. THIS WAS NOT WITHOUT A LENGTHY DELAY AND THE CANCELLATION OF ONE OF THE INTERMEDIATE REVENUE LEGS. THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS FEELING BAD ABOUT THE INCONVENIENCE BEING CAUSED, AND NO DOUBT SHE MUST HAVE BEEN A BIT STRESSED. THE CAPT BRIEFED HER ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF UNPRESSURIZED FLT (SHE IS ALSO A SMOKER), AND SHE WAS OK WITH IT. WE DEPARTED FOR ROC. THE ALT WAS 10000 FT, THE MAX ALT FOR UNPRESSURIZED. 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE FLT SHE CALLED THE COCKPIT TO SEE IF WE NEEDED ANYTHING (TO EAT OR DRINK). SHE SEEMED FINE. ABOUT 20 MINS OUT OF ROC, SHE CALLED, GASPING, SAYING SHE 'COULDN'T BREATH AND COULDN'T GET THE BRACKET OFF' (THE OXYGEN BOTTLE). THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY BOLTED BACK, INSTRUCTING ME TO CALL FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. WE LANDED. SHE WAS TAKEN OFF AND ADMINISTERED OXYGEN AND REFUSED FURTHER ATTN. THE FLT ATTENDANT (AND THE PLTS) WERE TAKEN QUITE UNAWARE BY THIS OCCURRENCE. EVEN KNOWING ABOUT THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS WAS NOT ADEQUATE. PERHAPS EMPHASIS SHOULD BE GREATER IN TRAINING, AND EMPHASIZE THE EFFECTS ON SMOKERS. WHEN THE CAPT WAS ASSISTING HER, HE WASN'T SURE IF THE OXYGEN WAS FLOWING PROPERLY. (IT WAS, BUT DUE TO THE FLT ATTENDANT'S PANICKED STATE, ITS EFFECT WAS DIMINISHED.) WE'RE ALL TRAINED ON THE WHERE'S AND HOW'S OF EMER EQUIP, BUT PERHAPS A LITTLE MORE 'HANDS ON' OP WOULD BE IN ORDER.

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.