Narrative:

At approximately XA35Z I was notified by the flight attendants that a 12 yr old female passenger had been vomiting and was now passed out in the aisle, they were attempting to revive her and would get back to me shortly. I then notified ATC that we had a medical emergency and would like priority handling. We were now traveling towards sju as fast as we could and would ascertain later if a further escalation to emergency status would expedite the situation. Sju operations was notified at this time that the passenger's father was requesting paramedics. They were only made aware of that it was a 12 yr old female that was passed out. ATC did an excellent job of expediting our approach and landing. Problems started when we attempted to taxi into an open gate. We were told that we had to wait for a DC10 to push off our scheduled arrival gate. Other gates were available and the tower was requesting that we taxi into xx. The whole airport was now holding for our next action. Gates were not clear enough for me to taxi in on my own and I needed the help of the ramp to clear a path. I was told that I could not taxi into either and that no one was coming out to park me since the pushback crew was my parking crew. Radio responses from sju operations then became inadequate given the situation. I was now being blocked from gate by a pushed back DC10 and could not turn around to go to gate on my own. Gate was waiting for a flight which had just landed and could now have accepted me. The performance of sju operations was totally unsatisfactory in this situation. They were only aware that there was a medical emergency on board. They had no knowledge as to the degree that this situation could or could not have been life threatening. Decisions made in this situation could have jeopardized a person's life and could have opened up matters of liability and publicity that could have seriously threatened our air carrier. Our inactions were viewed by passenger in my aircraft, other aircraft around me, and in the terminal, other carriers and the tower operators. This was not in the best interests of our air carrier. I am sure that we have guidelines for this situation in place around the system. Could we please make sure that those responsible for making these decisions have these available and that their decisions are supported. The outcome of this situation could have been a lot worse. It should be noted that ATC, sju passenger service and the flight attendants performed in an exemplary manner and should be commended.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WITH ILL PAX COULD NOT GET ACFT TO GATE FOR DEPLANING DUE TO INACTION BY STATION OPS.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA35Z I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT A 12 YR OLD FEMALE PAX HAD BEEN VOMITING AND WAS NOW PASSED OUT IN THE AISLE, THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO REVIVE HER AND WOULD GET BACK TO ME SHORTLY. I THEN NOTIFIED ATC THAT WE HAD A MEDICAL EMER AND WOULD LIKE PRIORITY HANDLING. WE WERE NOW TRAVELING TOWARDS SJU AS FAST AS WE COULD AND WOULD ASCERTAIN LATER IF A FURTHER ESCALATION TO EMER STATUS WOULD EXPEDITE THE SIT. SJU OPS WAS NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME THAT THE PAX'S FATHER WAS REQUESTING PARAMEDICS. THEY WERE ONLY MADE AWARE OF THAT IT WAS A 12 YR OLD FEMALE THAT WAS PASSED OUT. ATC DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF EXPEDITING OUR APCH AND LNDG. PROBS STARTED WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO TAXI INTO AN OPEN GATE. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD TO WAIT FOR A DC10 TO PUSH OFF OUR SCHEDULED ARR GATE. OTHER GATES WERE AVAILABLE AND THE TWR WAS REQUESTING THAT WE TAXI INTO XX. THE WHOLE ARPT WAS NOW HOLDING FOR OUR NEXT ACTION. GATES WERE NOT CLR ENOUGH FOR ME TO TAXI IN ON MY OWN AND I NEEDED THE HELP OF THE RAMP TO CLR A PATH. I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD NOT TAXI INTO EITHER AND THAT NO ONE WAS COMING OUT TO PARK ME SINCE THE PUSHBACK CREW WAS MY PARKING CREW. RADIO RESPONSES FROM SJU OPS THEN BECAME INADEQUATE GIVEN THE SIT. I WAS NOW BEING BLOCKED FROM GATE BY A PUSHED BACK DC10 AND COULD NOT TURN AROUND TO GO TO GATE ON MY OWN. GATE WAS WAITING FOR A FLT WHICH HAD JUST LANDED AND COULD NOW HAVE ACCEPTED ME. THE PERFORMANCE OF SJU OPS WAS TOTALLY UNSATISFACTORY IN THIS SIT. THEY WERE ONLY AWARE THAT THERE WAS A MEDICAL EMER ON BOARD. THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE AS TO THE DEG THAT THIS SIT COULD OR COULD NOT HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING. DECISIONS MADE IN THIS SIT COULD HAVE JEOPARDIZED A PERSON'S LIFE AND COULD HAVE OPENED UP MATTERS OF LIABILITY AND PUBLICITY THAT COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY THREATENED OUR ACR. OUR INACTIONS WERE VIEWED BY PAX IN MY ACFT, OTHER ACFT AROUND ME, AND IN THE TERMINAL, OTHER CARRIERS AND THE TWR OPERATORS. THIS WAS NOT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR ACR. I AM SURE THAT WE HAVE GUIDELINES FOR THIS SIT IN PLACE AROUND THE SYS. COULD WE PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING THESE DECISIONS HAVE THESE AVAILABLE AND THAT THEIR DECISIONS ARE SUPPORTED. THE OUTCOME OF THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT ATC, SJU PAX SVC AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS PERFORMED IN AN EXEMPLARY MANNER AND SHOULD BE COMMENDED.

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.