Disruptive passenger during flight.

Attributes
ACN	549158
Time
Date	200204
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : c90.tracon tower : sju.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 6
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 5 flight attendant time total : 5 flight attendant time type : 90
ASRS Report	549158
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : cab 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Company Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

Passenger was a 15 yr old, mentally ill child, escorted by an adult male. Passenger was unruly and disruptive during the entire flight -- but tolerable. Escort slept most of flight and did not keep passenger under control. Upon captain's instruction to prepare for landing, I buckled passenger's seatbelt and put tray table upright and told her we were going to land. She allowed this without righting me. I proceeded to check that the rest of the cabin and when I walked back to situation in my jump seat, the passenger had unbuckled her seatbelt and was running up and down the aisle, flailing her arms, screaming obscenities. I went to reach for her, but the spat saliva all over into my eyes, nose and mouth. I tried to reason with her, but she again spat in my face a second time. I was in shock, but yelled at her escort, commanding him to keep passenger under control. I ran to lavatory to rinse my face. Upon landing, I was taken to medical facility to begin bodily fluid protocol, including hepatitis B vaccine -- a series to be conducted the next 6 months. I had initial hiv blood test and will require continuing blood tests for next 12 months. Airline allowed passenger to continue traveling on to austin, much to my horror and dismay. No auths met the flight to arrest passenger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISRUPTIVE PAX DURING FLT.

Narrative: PAX WAS A 15 YR OLD, MENTALLY ILL CHILD, ESCORTED BY AN ADULT MALE. PAX WAS UNRULY AND DISRUPTIVE DURING THE ENTIRE FLT -- BUT TOLERABLE. ESCORT SLEPT MOST OF FLT AND DID NOT KEEP PAX UNDER CTL. UPON CAPT'S INSTRUCTION TO PREPARE FOR LNDG, I BUCKLED PAX'S SEATBELT AND PUT TRAY TABLE UPRIGHT AND TOLD HER WE WERE GOING TO LAND. SHE ALLOWED THIS WITHOUT RIGHTING ME. I PROCEEDED TO CHK THAT THE REST OF THE CABIN AND WHEN I WALKED BACK TO SIT IN MY JUMP SEAT, THE PAX HAD UNBUCKLED HER SEATBELT AND WAS RUNNING UP AND DOWN THE AISLE, FLAILING HER ARMS, SCREAMING OBSCENITIES. I WENT TO REACH FOR HER, BUT THE SPAT SALIVA ALL OVER INTO MY EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH. I TRIED TO REASON WITH HER, BUT SHE AGAIN SPAT IN MY FACE A SECOND TIME. I WAS IN SHOCK, BUT YELLED AT HER ESCORT, COMMANDING HIM TO KEEP PAX UNDER CTL. I RAN TO LAVATORY TO RINSE MY FACE. UPON LNDG, I WAS TAKEN TO MEDICAL FACILITY TO BEGIN BODILY FLUID PROTOCOL, INCLUDING HEPATITIS B VACCINE -- A SERIES TO BE CONDUCTED THE NEXT 6 MONTHS. I HAD INITIAL HIV BLOOD TEST AND WILL REQUIRE CONTINUING BLOOD TESTS FOR NEXT 12 MONTHS. AIRLINE ALLOWED PAX TO CONTINUE TRAVELING ON TO AUSTIN, MUCH TO MY HORROR AND DISMAY. NO AUTHS MET THE FLT TO ARREST PAX.

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.