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B737-400 aircraft loading a stretcher patient, reporter captain made the decision to install the stretcher in accordance with instructions despite the fact that there were no maintenance personnel available for the installation, and though reporter inspected the installation prior to flight, at the first stop maintenance personnel inspected the installation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 384019 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199710 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sit |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-400 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 384019 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
Narrative:
A stretcher passenger in situation, ak, needed to be xported to an anchorage hospital. With no maintenance available to perform the stretcher installation, I used my emergency authority/authorized to board this passenger on the last flight of the day. I made this decision after consultation with medical personnel, maintenance control, the dfc and chief pilot. I verified the instructions in the stretcher kit were followed and checked the installation myself. Maintenance performed the inspection at our next stop in jnu. The installation consists of attaching color coded seat belt straps from the stretcher to the seat belts in 3 rows of seats while the stretcher sits on the backs of 3 seats folded forward. The system is very simple and the directions are clear. I felt that safety was not diminished and the health of the passenger was not put at further risk by denying her access to the care she needed.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-400 ACFT LOADING A STRETCHER PATIENT, RPTR CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO INSTALL THE STRETCHER IN ACCORDANCE WITH INSTRUCTIONS DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE WERE NO MAINT PERSONNEL AVAILABLE FOR THE INSTALLATION, AND THOUGH RPTR INSPECTED THE INSTALLATION PRIOR TO FLT, AT THE FIRST STOP MAINT PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE INSTALLATION.
Narrative: A STRETCHER PAX IN SIT, AK, NEEDED TO BE XPORTED TO AN ANCHORAGE HOSPITAL. WITH NO MAINT AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE STRETCHER INSTALLATION, I USED MY EMER AUTH TO BOARD THIS PAX ON THE LAST FLT OF THE DAY. I MADE THIS DECISION AFTER CONSULTATION WITH MEDICAL PERSONNEL, MAINT CTL, THE DFC AND CHIEF PLT. I VERIFIED THE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE STRETCHER KIT WERE FOLLOWED AND CHKED THE INSTALLATION MYSELF. MAINT PERFORMED THE INSPECTION AT OUR NEXT STOP IN JNU. THE INSTALLATION CONSISTS OF ATTACHING COLOR CODED SEAT BELT STRAPS FROM THE STRETCHER TO THE SEAT BELTS IN 3 ROWS OF SEATS WHILE THE STRETCHER SITS ON THE BACKS OF 3 SEATS FOLDED FORWARD. THE SYS IS VERY SIMPLE AND THE DIRECTIONS ARE CLR. I FELT THAT SAFETY WAS NOT DIMINISHED AND THE HEALTH OF THE PAX WAS NOT PUT AT FURTHER RISK BY DENYING HER ACCESS TO THE CARE SHE NEEDED.
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.