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The declaration of a medical emergency for an ill passenger by a PIC of an MD80 discloses a deficiency in the air carrier's charts as the first emergency airport, rca, was closed and the second airport, the crew had no charts for, rap, sd.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 550362 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200206 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : rap.airport |
| State Reference | SD |
| Altitude | msl single value : 31000 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdv.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 550362 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event : passenger illness other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Airport Chart Or Publication Passenger Human Performance Company |
| Primary Problem | Passenger Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| Airport | other physical facility procedure or policy : rca.airport |
| Publication | AERO CHARTS-RCA |
Narrative:
Location: rapid city, sd, en route. Advised by the #1 flight attendant we had a male passenger with severe chest pains. We had a doctor on board and she recommended we land as soon as possible. I declared an emergency with ZDV and asked to go to my closest emergency field -- ellsworth AFB. I called dispatch and advised him of my intentions. He gave me WX information and assured me we could get fuel there. We started a descent from FL310. At about 10000 ft, the center advised me that ellsworth was closed and that he had sent the ambulance to rapid city regional (rap). He highly recommended we land there. We did not have any approach charts for rap. The center gave us the frequencys and another company flight also gave us the approach and missed approach information from their charts. We flew the approach and landed without incident. I was surprised that my emergency field was closed. I thought an emergency field would be open in an emergency. I am also surprised the dispatcher did not advise me that ellsworth was closed. I would suggest that due to the frequency of company flight over this route that rap be placed in our navigation charts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE DECLARATION OF A MEDICAL EMER FOR AN ILL PAX BY A PIC OF AN MD80 DISCLOSES A DEFICIENCY IN THE ACR'S CHARTS AS THE FIRST EMER ARPT, RCA, WAS CLOSED AND THE SECOND ARPT, THE CREW HAD NO CHARTS FOR, RAP, SD.
Narrative: LOCATION: RAPID CITY, SD, ENRTE. ADVISED BY THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WE HAD A MALE PAX WITH SEVERE CHEST PAINS. WE HAD A DOCTOR ON BOARD AND SHE RECOMMENDED WE LAND ASAP. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZDV AND ASKED TO GO TO MY CLOSEST EMER FIELD -- ELLSWORTH AFB. I CALLED DISPATCH AND ADVISED HIM OF MY INTENTIONS. HE GAVE ME WX INFO AND ASSURED ME WE COULD GET FUEL THERE. WE STARTED A DSCNT FROM FL310. AT ABOUT 10000 FT, THE CTR ADVISED ME THAT ELLSWORTH WAS CLOSED AND THAT HE HAD SENT THE AMBULANCE TO RAPID CITY REGIONAL (RAP). HE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED WE LAND THERE. WE DID NOT HAVE ANY APCH CHARTS FOR RAP. THE CTR GAVE US THE FREQS AND ANOTHER COMPANY FLT ALSO GAVE US THE APCH AND MISSED APCH INFO FROM THEIR CHARTS. WE FLEW THE APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WAS SURPRISED THAT MY EMER FIELD WAS CLOSED. I THOUGHT AN EMER FIELD WOULD BE OPEN IN AN EMER. I AM ALSO SURPRISED THE DISPATCHER DID NOT ADVISE ME THAT ELLSWORTH WAS CLOSED. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT DUE TO THE FREQ OF COMPANY FLT OVER THIS RTE THAT RAP BE PLACED IN OUR NAV CHARTS.
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.