Narrative:

After boarding, the flight attendant informed me that she was concerned about a passenger seated, seemed to have poor vision and did not want to move. The man was a special needs passenger, and was told he was not. I also had operations check the computer to see if he was a special needs passenger. I then went and talked to the passenger. He was reading the briefing card and did not seem to me to have vision that would impair him from occupying the exit row. I asked him if he would have any problem operating the emergency exit door in an emergency, and he said that he would not. I conferred with the flight attendant and it was decided that he would be ok to situation there. I have recently been informed that this passenger was legally blind. If I had this information, I would not have allowed this person to occupy that seat. Supplemental information from acn 567744: I saw a man being assisted by the gate agent up the aircraft stairs. The flight attendant told the captain that this passenger was being difficult. This passenger refused to move from the exit row. Captain inquired from the flight attendant if this was a special needs passenger. Flight attendant said that he was not listed on any paperwork, but he had a cane, was assisted up the aircraft stairs by the gate agent, and had very thick glasses. The captain inquired from operations via radio whether or not this passenger was a special needs passenger. Operations also concurred that he was not listed as a special needs passenger. The captain asked the flight attendant to ask the man again if he would move to another seat. The man refused. The captain went back to talk with him, but the captain decided not to move him. The captain could not prove that the man was legally blind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER COMPANY ASSIGNED A LEGALLY BLIND PAX TO BE SEATED IN AN EMER EXIT ROW SEAT.

Narrative: AFTER BOARDING, THE FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED ME THAT SHE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A PAX SEATED, SEEMED TO HAVE POOR VISION AND DID NOT WANT TO MOVE. THE MAN WAS A SPECIAL NEEDS PAX, AND WAS TOLD HE WAS NOT. I ALSO HAD OPS CHK THE COMPUTER TO SEE IF HE WAS A SPECIAL NEEDS PAX. I THEN WENT AND TALKED TO THE PAX. HE WAS READING THE BRIEFING CARD AND DID NOT SEEM TO ME TO HAVE VISION THAT WOULD IMPAIR HIM FROM OCCUPYING THE EXIT ROW. I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD HAVE ANY PROB OPERATING THE EMER EXIT DOOR IN AN EMER, AND HE SAID THAT HE WOULD NOT. I CONFERRED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT AND IT WAS DECIDED THAT HE WOULD BE OK TO SIT THERE. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN INFORMED THAT THIS PAX WAS LEGALLY BLIND. IF I HAD THIS INFO, I WOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THIS PERSON TO OCCUPY THAT SEAT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 567744: I SAW A MAN BEING ASSISTED BY THE GATE AGENT UP THE ACFT STAIRS. THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD THE CAPT THAT THIS PAX WAS BEING DIFFICULT. THIS PAX REFUSED TO MOVE FROM THE EXIT ROW. CAPT INQUIRED FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT IF THIS WAS A SPECIAL NEEDS PAX. FLT ATTENDANT SAID THAT HE WAS NOT LISTED ON ANY PAPERWORK, BUT HE HAD A CANE, WAS ASSISTED UP THE ACFT STAIRS BY THE GATE AGENT, AND HAD VERY THICK GLASSES. THE CAPT INQUIRED FROM OPS VIA RADIO WHETHER OR NOT THIS PAX WAS A SPECIAL NEEDS PAX. OPS ALSO CONCURRED THAT HE WAS NOT LISTED AS A SPECIAL NEEDS PAX. THE CAPT ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO ASK THE MAN AGAIN IF HE WOULD MOVE TO ANOTHER SEAT. THE MAN REFUSED. THE CAPT WENT BACK TO TALK WITH HIM, BUT THE CAPT DECIDED NOT TO MOVE HIM. THE CAPT COULD NOT PROVE THAT THE MAN WAS LEGALLY BLIND.

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.