Narrative:

After arriving at the gate and completing the parking checklist, the captain deplaned the aircraft. The so and I remained on board to say thank you to the passenger. As the last few people were leaving, a flight attendant advised us that a passenger thought her husband had died. The paramedics were called and they pronounced the elderly gentleman dead on the aircraft, most likely from heart failure. The local police were called as was the coroner to remove the body. The captain followed company procedure in immediately notifying the company and following up with a written report within 48 hours. After the aircraft was cleaned and svced, we departed empty to den. A dispatcher called the captain the following day and advised that the FAA was concerned that we had departed without notifying them. Our flight manual describes no situation where the crews themselves notify the FAA or NTSB. It is policy for the company to perform this task after receiving immediate notification from the flight crew (captain). It would seem prudent, however, that the captain confirm that the calls have been made in accordance with the FARS. Perhaps the FAA should take a closer look at the wording and guidance offered in individual airline operating handbooks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER THE B727 WAS DEPLANED AT THE ARR GATE, A FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIES THE FO THAT A PAX IS THOUGHT TO BE DEAD. PARAMEDICS CONFIRM THE PAX'S CONDITION. CAPT NOTIFIES COMPANY AND THE ACFT IS THEN FLOWN OUT EMPTY ON A REPOSITIONING FLT. FAA TELLS DISPATCHER LATER THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED WITH THE ACFT'S DEP SINCE CREW HAD NOT CALLED THE FAA.

Narrative: AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE AND COMPLETING THE PARKING CHKLIST, THE CAPT DEPLANED THE ACFT. THE SO AND I REMAINED ON BOARD TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE PAX. AS THE LAST FEW PEOPLE WERE LEAVING, A FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED US THAT A PAX THOUGHT HER HUSBAND HAD DIED. THE PARAMEDICS WERE CALLED AND THEY PRONOUNCED THE ELDERLY GENTLEMAN DEAD ON THE ACFT, MOST LIKELY FROM HEART FAILURE. THE LCL POLICE WERE CALLED AS WAS THE CORONER TO REMOVE THE BODY. THE CAPT FOLLOWED COMPANY PROC IN IMMEDIATELY NOTIFYING THE COMPANY AND FOLLOWING UP WITH A WRITTEN RPT WITHIN 48 HRS. AFTER THE ACFT WAS CLEANED AND SVCED, WE DEPARTED EMPTY TO DEN. A DISPATCHER CALLED THE CAPT THE FOLLOWING DAY AND ADVISED THAT THE FAA WAS CONCERNED THAT WE HAD DEPARTED WITHOUT NOTIFYING THEM. OUR FLT MANUAL DESCRIBES NO SIT WHERE THE CREWS THEMSELVES NOTIFY THE FAA OR NTSB. IT IS POLICY FOR THE COMPANY TO PERFORM THIS TASK AFTER RECEIVING IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION FROM THE FLC (CAPT). IT WOULD SEEM PRUDENT, HOWEVER, THAT THE CAPT CONFIRM THAT THE CALLS HAVE BEEN MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FARS. PERHAPS THE FAA SHOULD TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE WORDING AND GUIDANCE OFFERED IN INDIVIDUAL AIRLINE OPERATING HANDBOOKS.

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.