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B737 captain refuses to fly with paraplegic obese passenger because of concerns over ability to evacuate him. Company replaces captain.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 622274 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200305 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : ewr.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 28000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 622274 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Cabin Crew Human Performance Company Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft FAA Passenger Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
Narrative:
Passenger brought on board by 10 people who had made 'slings' from blankets and hoisted him from his wheelchair. He weighed approximately 600 pounds and was paralyzed from the neck down. He was traveling with an able bodied assistant (his wife). I did not feel that it would be safe to have him on the flight in that, if there were an evacuate/evacuation ordered, he would not be able to get off the aircraft and he was too large for the crew to help. If he fell from his seat, it would again take approximately 10 people to help get him back in. I was removed from the flight and the flight continued with another captain.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737 CAPT REFUSES TO FLY WITH PARAPLEGIC OBESE PAX BECAUSE OF CONCERNS OVER ABILITY TO EVACUATE HIM. COMPANY REPLACES CAPT.
Narrative: PAX BROUGHT ON BOARD BY 10 PEOPLE WHO HAD MADE 'SLINGS' FROM BLANKETS AND HOISTED HIM FROM HIS WHEELCHAIR. HE WEIGHED APPROX 600 LBS AND WAS PARALYZED FROM THE NECK DOWN. HE WAS TRAVELING WITH AN ABLE BODIED ASSISTANT (HIS WIFE). I DID NOT FEEL THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE TO HAVE HIM ON THE FLT IN THAT, IF THERE WERE AN EVAC ORDERED, HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET OFF THE ACFT AND HE WAS TOO LARGE FOR THE CREW TO HELP. IF HE FELL FROM HIS SEAT, IT WOULD AGAIN TAKE APPROX 10 PEOPLE TO HELP GET HIM BACK IN. I WAS REMOVED FROM THE FLT AND THE FLT CONTINUED WITH ANOTHER CAPT.
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.