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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Air carrier flight crew land with ill passenger in lavatory, being unable to extricate while airborne. PIC concerned with transporting ill passenger.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 497980 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200101 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : phx.airport |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : p50.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival star : karlo |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| ASRS Report | 497980 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event : passenger illness non adherence : far non adherence : company policies |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Passenger Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Passenger Human Performance |
Narrative:
Descending through 11000 ft on arrival to phx, the forward flight attendant informed us that an elderly gentleman was stuck in the forward lavatory. They had attempted to help him out with the assistance of others for some time, but he was still unable to stand up. At this point, he was also refusing to continue the struggle. He was very weak, having recently undergone surgery. The aircraft was operating in scattered weak build-ups, IMC/VMC, in a very busy area. This was a major distraction. The decision was made to land the aircraft with the passenger in the lavatory (seated). An uneventful landing followed. It took 3 people to assist him out of the lavatory at the gate due to his weakness. Naturally, I feel sorry for this individual, but passenger aircraft shouldn't be used as medical transport aircraft. These needless distrs jeopardize everyone on the aircraft, sharing the airspace, and on the ground.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR FLC LAND WITH ILL PAX IN LAVATORY, BEING UNABLE TO EXTRICATE WHILE AIRBORNE. PIC CONCERNED WITH TRANSPORTING ILL PAX.
Narrative: DSNDING THROUGH 11000 FT ON ARR TO PHX, THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT AN ELDERLY GENTLEMAN WAS STUCK IN THE FORWARD LAVATORY. THEY HAD ATTEMPTED TO HELP HIM OUT WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHERS FOR SOME TIME, BUT HE WAS STILL UNABLE TO STAND UP. AT THIS POINT, HE WAS ALSO REFUSING TO CONTINUE THE STRUGGLE. HE WAS VERY WEAK, HAVING RECENTLY UNDERGONE SURGERY. THE ACFT WAS OPERATING IN SCATTERED WEAK BUILD-UPS, IMC/VMC, IN A VERY BUSY AREA. THIS WAS A MAJOR DISTR. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND THE ACFT WITH THE PAX IN THE LAVATORY (SEATED). AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG FOLLOWED. IT TOOK 3 PEOPLE TO ASSIST HIM OUT OF THE LAVATORY AT THE GATE DUE TO HIS WEAKNESS. NATURALLY, I FEEL SORRY FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL, BUT PAX ACFT SHOULDN'T BE USED AS MEDICAL TRANSPORT ACFT. THESE NEEDLESS DISTRS JEOPARDIZE EVERYONE ON THE ACFT, SHARING THE AIRSPACE, AND ON THE GND.
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.