Narrative:

In-flight illness. Passenger had sporadic, uncontrolled vomiting, indicating possible heart attack symptoms. Attendants provided help/assistance, paged doctor. Doctor provided help with O2 and aed therapy. Landed in ZZZZ for medical attention. Flight origin ZZZZ1 to ZZZ, air interrupt due to above. Observation/comment company passenger flight attendant call system poor!!! Passenger was initially unable to flag flight attendant attention due to design of armrest control location. This passenger panel is not easily visible, due to blocked access. Passenger continually push the wrong buttons, which rings call chime in flight attendant galley areas. Design in panel is such that 1 black square button is for the reading light, adjacent black button is for flight attendant call. Passenger continually hunting on panel, located at leg level, for reading light. Each panel is opposite to the seat next to it!! Therefore, if you ask passenger next to you, how he turned on his reading light, he would tell you it was the 'forward' button, which is the wrong button on your own seat! Bad, poorly devised and poorly located panel. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane was a B767-300ER and was wbound over water when the passenger displayed signs of serious distress. The reporter said the passenger was unable to contact any cabin attendant due to confusion with the armrest control panel. The reporter stated the first problem was locating the panel then activating the call button which is the same color as the reading light switch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300ER CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS THAT IN A RECENT MEDICAL EMER THE SICK PAX WAS UNABLE TO FLAG CABIN ATTENDANT ATTENTION DUE TO DESIGN OF ARMREST CTL LOCATION.

Narrative: INFLT ILLNESS. PAX HAD SPORADIC, UNCONTROLLED VOMITING, INDICATING POSSIBLE HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS. ATTENDANTS PROVIDED HELP/ASSISTANCE, PAGED DOCTOR. DOCTOR PROVIDED HELP WITH O2 AND AED THERAPY. LANDED IN ZZZZ FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION. FLT ORIGIN ZZZZ1 TO ZZZ, AIR INTERRUPT DUE TO ABOVE. OBSERVATION/COMMENT COMPANY PAX FLT ATTENDANT CALL SYSTEM POOR!!! PAX WAS INITIALLY UNABLE TO FLAG FLT ATTENDANT ATTENTION DUE TO DESIGN OF ARMREST CTL LOCATION. THIS PAX PANEL IS NOT EASILY VISIBLE, DUE TO BLOCKED ACCESS. PAX CONTINUALLY PUSH THE WRONG BUTTONS, WHICH RINGS CALL CHIME IN FLT ATTENDANT GALLEY AREAS. DESIGN IN PANEL IS SUCH THAT 1 BLACK SQUARE BUTTON IS FOR THE READING LIGHT, ADJACENT BLACK BUTTON IS FOR FLT ATTENDANT CALL. PAX CONTINUALLY HUNTING ON PANEL, LOCATED AT LEG LEVEL, FOR READING LIGHT. EACH PANEL IS OPPOSITE TO THE SEAT NEXT TO IT!! THEREFORE, IF YOU ASK PAX NEXT TO YOU, HOW HE TURNED ON HIS READING LIGHT, HE WOULD TELL YOU IT WAS THE 'FORWARD' BUTTON, WHICH IS THE WRONG BUTTON ON YOUR OWN SEAT! BAD, POORLY DEVISED AND POORLY LOCATED PANEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS A B767-300ER AND WAS WBOUND OVER WATER WHEN THE PAX DISPLAYED SIGNS OF SERIOUS DISTRESS. THE RPTR SAID THE PAX WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT ANY CABIN ATTENDANT DUE TO CONFUSION WITH THE ARMREST CTL PANEL. THE RPTR STATED THE FIRST PROB WAS LOCATING THE PANEL THEN ACTIVATING THE CALL BUTTON WHICH IS THE SAME COLOR AS THE READING LIGHT SWITCH.

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.