Narrative:

As soon as we were climbing to the altitude of 10000 ft, I noticed a passenger in first class get up and frantically wave his arms at the flight attendant in front. His son could not breathe normally, the forward flight attendants #1 and #3 quickly looked for the emergency equipment. As they were looking for it, I (#2 flight attendant) saw the activity and promptly made a quick dash to help. The oxygen was too high for them (flight attendants) to reach. I reached and unclamped the oxygen walk around and quickly gave the kid the oxygen. I had to translate from english to spanish since they were non english speakers. My suggestion would be to make the oxygen walk around more accessible to shorter flight attendants. Had I not been there, flight attendants would have lost precious and crucial time to save the kid's life. After administering oxygen, the kid felt better, but the captain felt it would be wise to turn around and go back to sat. Captain was advised by #1 flight attendant way in advance, so he was aware of the situation in the cabin. As soon as we landed and arrived at the gate, paramedics were quick to give aid to the kid. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting flight attendant has been with the company 1 month. He stated that the other 2 attendants had been with the airline from 5-7 yrs, were about 5 ft 4 inches in ht -- too short to reach the oxygen bottle without removing a passenger from one of the first class seats. The retaining clamp was also very difficult for the other flight attendants to unclamp, due to the location in the forward port side overhead bin. He recommended that the bottle be placed in a lower bin if possible. He did not believe that any other aircraft types had this kind of problem. He shared this report with the union but not the company. The child was about 2 yrs old and was recovering from the flu. He was subject to asthma attacks and was frightened. The parents and child were removed from the flight for medical reasons.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING THE IMPROPER, INACCESSIBLE LOCATION OF THE PAX PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLE IN THE FORWARD L OVERHEAD BIN ON THE FK100.

Narrative: AS SOON AS WE WERE CLBING TO THE ALT OF 10000 FT, I NOTICED A PAX IN FIRST CLASS GET UP AND FRANTICALLY WAVE HIS ARMS AT THE FLT ATTENDANT IN FRONT. HIS SON COULD NOT BREATHE NORMALLY, THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANTS #1 AND #3 QUICKLY LOOKED FOR THE EMER EQUIP. AS THEY WERE LOOKING FOR IT, I (#2 FLT ATTENDANT) SAW THE ACTIVITY AND PROMPTLY MADE A QUICK DASH TO HELP. THE OXYGEN WAS TOO HIGH FOR THEM (FLT ATTENDANTS) TO REACH. I REACHED AND UNCLAMPED THE OXYGEN WALK AROUND AND QUICKLY GAVE THE KID THE OXYGEN. I HAD TO TRANSLATE FROM ENGLISH TO SPANISH SINCE THEY WERE NON ENGLISH SPEAKERS. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO MAKE THE OXYGEN WALK AROUND MORE ACCESSIBLE TO SHORTER FLT ATTENDANTS. HAD I NOT BEEN THERE, FLT ATTENDANTS WOULD HAVE LOST PRECIOUS AND CRUCIAL TIME TO SAVE THE KID'S LIFE. AFTER ADMINISTERING OXYGEN, THE KID FELT BETTER, BUT THE CAPT FELT IT WOULD BE WISE TO TURN AROUND AND GO BACK TO SAT. CAPT WAS ADVISED BY #1 FLT ATTENDANT WAY IN ADVANCE, SO HE WAS AWARE OF THE SIT IN THE CABIN. AS SOON AS WE LANDED AND ARRIVED AT THE GATE, PARAMEDICS WERE QUICK TO GIVE AID TO THE KID. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING FLT ATTENDANT HAS BEEN WITH THE COMPANY 1 MONTH. HE STATED THAT THE OTHER 2 ATTENDANTS HAD BEEN WITH THE AIRLINE FROM 5-7 YRS, WERE ABOUT 5 FT 4 INCHES IN HT -- TOO SHORT TO REACH THE OXYGEN BOTTLE WITHOUT REMOVING A PAX FROM ONE OF THE FIRST CLASS SEATS. THE RETAINING CLAMP WAS ALSO VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS TO UNCLAMP, DUE TO THE LOCATION IN THE FORWARD PORT SIDE OVERHEAD BIN. HE RECOMMENDED THAT THE BOTTLE BE PLACED IN A LOWER BIN IF POSSIBLE. HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY OTHER ACFT TYPES HAD THIS KIND OF PROB. HE SHARED THIS RPT WITH THE UNION BUT NOT THE COMPANY. THE CHILD WAS ABOUT 2 YRS OLD AND WAS RECOVERING FROM THE FLU. HE WAS SUBJECT TO ASTHMA ATTACKS AND WAS FRIGHTENED. THE PARENTS AND CHILD WERE REMOVED FROM THE FLT FOR MEDICAL REASONS.

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.