 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
MD88 pilot falls and breaks his wrist prior to the flight. The pilot elects to fly the flight injured.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 592780 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200308 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bwi.airport |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-82 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 592780 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Airport |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was an first officer on flight bwi-atl. We departed several hours late due to thunderstorms in atl area. When getting out of crew van at bwi, the step the driver had put out collapsed. (I later learned this had happened before.) I instinctively tried to brace my fall with my right hand. I realized that my hand was in pain and was swelling. Since I could use it, I elected to fly to atl as PNF, as I believed I could fly the aircraft if necessary. I got off the trip in atl and got to the doctor the next day as soon as I could get home. X-rays were taken and I learned I had a broken right wrist. I was provided with a brace. I was also seen for severe hip pain (right hip) associated with the fall. I am now realizing that if I could do this over again (aside from not falling), I should have not flown the leg to atl as I thought I was capable, but should have had a doctor check it out first. I now believe I should not have been employing my medical on that flight as I had reasonable doubt as to my airworthiness. Factors were: sold out flight, canceling would have resulted in huge inconvenience to many people. Safety happens all the time, not just in the plane. The van company should not have been using a step known to be defective. It is still hard to write.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: MD88 PLT FALLS AND BREAKS HIS WRIST PRIOR TO THE FLT. THE PLT ELECTS TO FLY THE FLT INJURED.
Narrative: I WAS AN FO ON FLT BWI-ATL. WE DEPARTED SEVERAL HRS LATE DUE TO TSTMS IN ATL AREA. WHEN GETTING OUT OF CREW VAN AT BWI, THE STEP THE DRIVER HAD PUT OUT COLLAPSED. (I LATER LEARNED THIS HAD HAPPENED BEFORE.) I INSTINCTIVELY TRIED TO BRACE MY FALL WITH MY R HAND. I REALIZED THAT MY HAND WAS IN PAIN AND WAS SWELLING. SINCE I COULD USE IT, I ELECTED TO FLY TO ATL AS PNF, AS I BELIEVED I COULD FLY THE ACFT IF NECESSARY. I GOT OFF THE TRIP IN ATL AND GOT TO THE DOCTOR THE NEXT DAY AS SOON AS I COULD GET HOME. X-RAYS WERE TAKEN AND I LEARNED I HAD A BROKEN R WRIST. I WAS PROVIDED WITH A BRACE. I WAS ALSO SEEN FOR SEVERE HIP PAIN (R HIP) ASSOCIATED WITH THE FALL. I AM NOW REALIZING THAT IF I COULD DO THIS OVER AGAIN (ASIDE FROM NOT FALLING), I SHOULD HAVE NOT FLOWN THE LEG TO ATL AS I THOUGHT I WAS CAPABLE, BUT SHOULD HAVE HAD A DOCTOR CHK IT OUT FIRST. I NOW BELIEVE I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN EMPLOYING MY MEDICAL ON THAT FLT AS I HAD REASONABLE DOUBT AS TO MY AIRWORTHINESS. FACTORS WERE: SOLD OUT FLT, CANCELING WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN HUGE INCONVENIENCE TO MANY PEOPLE. SAFETY HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, NOT JUST IN THE PLANE. THE VAN COMPANY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN USING A STEP KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE. IT IS STILL HARD TO WRITE.
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.