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A B737-300 flight crew allows cockpit access to a doctor while in-flight. A passenger had fallen ill and the doctor was required in cockpit for communication purposes with a medical service for diagnosis.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 432108 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199903 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : oma.airport |
| State Reference | NE |
| Altitude | msl single value : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zmp.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : ns.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 432108 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 432107 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event : passenger illness non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other other : pax 4 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor FAA Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
On flight mar/xa/99, a 39 yr old male passenger complained of heart attack symptoms about 1 hour after takeoff at las. Was given oxygen and lapsed in and out of sleep. Md on board used emergency medical kit to take vital signs and was not overly concerned. Md was an ob/gyn. After 2 bottles of oxygen used, I contacted our in-flight medical advisor for further help in deciding on an off-line stop. Md was in first class section with passenger and I asked her to come into cockpit to discuss nature and seriousness of passenger's problems and pass on vital signs to medical advisor. History of heart problems with passenger surfaced, yet after discussion between doctor and medical advisor, decided to continue to mke and emt met passenger there with no further incident. I felt I had allowed md into cockpit to address impending medical emergency and off-line stop under captain's emergency authority/authorized per FARS. Not comfortable with the vagueness of that portion of the FARS and potential conflict with current media-driven cockpit access/security issues. Decision was made for crew to submit NASA report as insurance against violation potential.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-300 FLC ALLOWS COCKPIT ACCESS TO A DOCTOR WHILE INFLT. A PAX HAD FALLEN ILL AND THE DOCTOR WAS REQUIRED IN COCKPIT FOR COM PURPOSES WITH A MEDICAL SVC FOR DIAGNOSIS.
Narrative: ON FLT MAR/XA/99, A 39 YR OLD MALE PAX COMPLAINED OF HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS ABOUT 1 HR AFTER TKOF AT LAS. WAS GIVEN OXYGEN AND LAPSED IN AND OUT OF SLEEP. MD ON BOARD USED EMER MEDICAL KIT TO TAKE VITAL SIGNS AND WAS NOT OVERLY CONCERNED. MD WAS AN OB/GYN. AFTER 2 BOTTLES OF OXYGEN USED, I CONTACTED OUR INFLT MEDICAL ADVISOR FOR FURTHER HELP IN DECIDING ON AN OFF-LINE STOP. MD WAS IN FIRST CLASS SECTION WITH PAX AND I ASKED HER TO COME INTO COCKPIT TO DISCUSS NATURE AND SERIOUSNESS OF PAX'S PROBS AND PASS ON VITAL SIGNS TO MEDICAL ADVISOR. HISTORY OF HEART PROBS WITH PAX SURFACED, YET AFTER DISCUSSION BTWN DOCTOR AND MEDICAL ADVISOR, DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO MKE AND EMT MET PAX THERE WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. I FELT I HAD ALLOWED MD INTO COCKPIT TO ADDRESS IMPENDING MEDICAL EMER AND OFF-LINE STOP UNDER CAPT'S EMER AUTH PER FARS. NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE VAGUENESS OF THAT PORTION OF THE FARS AND POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH CURRENT MEDIA-DRIVEN COCKPIT ACCESS/SECURITY ISSUES. DECISION WAS MADE FOR CREW TO SUBMIT NASA RPT AS INSURANCE AGAINST VIOLATION POTENTIAL.
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.