Narrative:

The event that I need to describe is dispatching from orf with an insufficient amount of portable oxygen bottles onboard flight from orf to swf. The situation that led up to this oversight on my part began 25 mins into flight from sfb to swf. The lead flight attendant contacted me to say that an approximately 55 yr old male passenger required oxygen. I told her thank you and please keep me informed. We continued along our flight plan route. Approximately 15 mins later, the lead contacted the flight deck again to say that 'the passenger was not looking too good' and that she was administering a second bottle of oxygen. We had dispatched from sfb with 5 full (1500 psi) portable oxygen bottles, 4 of which are required for dispatch. I told the lead flight attendant to page the cabin for a doctor and there was a doctor on board. The doctor attended the passenger for a brief while before asking to speak with me. He told me that the passenger was very ill and needed further medical attention. We declared 'lifeguard' status and diverted flight to orf, which was approximately 65 NM away. EMS met the flight at the gate and attended the ill passenger for about 10 mins before removing him from the airplane. Apparently, the man was approaching having a heart attack, but I believe that he is fine. Now, in the process of the continuation of flight and all that it entailed, flight releases, fuel bias, communication with crew, company, and passenger, I failed to compute the total amount of oxygen that was consumed from the portable oxygen bottles. What we had ended up with in orf was 2 full portable oxygen bottles each with 1500 psi and 3 portable oxygen bottles each with 500 psi, which could total up to 3 portable oxygen bottles available for the segment orf to swf. Technically, we needed 4 portable oxygen bottles to dispatch. We (I) were 1 portable oxygen bottle short. I would like to say that this was not intentional but an oversight on my part that perhaps stemmed from inadequate communication with the lead flight attendant concerning the amount of oxygen used. There was no discussion between myself and dispatch (flight following) concerning the portable oxygen bottles. I checked my cockpit operations manual and 'fcom' for guidance concerning oxygen usage by passenger, and while the manuals clearly point out the location of the portable oxygen bottles, there is no other published guidance. That guidance I learned later on is found in the flight attendant manual. I had entered the portable oxygen bottle usage into the aircraft maintenance log and all the bottles were filled while in swf.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT DEPARTS FOR ORIGINAL DEST ARPT WITH LESS THAN REQUIRED COUNT OF PAX OXYGEN BOTTLES AFTER HAVING TO ASSIST AN ILL PAX WITH OXYGEN USE AND DIVERTING FROM FLT PLAN TO LAND AT ORF.

Narrative: THE EVENT THAT I NEED TO DESCRIBE IS DISPATCHING FROM ORF WITH AN INSUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLES ONBOARD FLT FROM ORF TO SWF. THE SIT THAT LED UP TO THIS OVERSIGHT ON MY PART BEGAN 25 MINS INTO FLT FROM SFB TO SWF. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CONTACTED ME TO SAY THAT AN APPROX 55 YR OLD MALE PAX REQUIRED OXYGEN. I TOLD HER THANK YOU AND PLEASE KEEP ME INFORMED. WE CONTINUED ALONG OUR FLT PLAN RTE. APPROX 15 MINS LATER, THE LEAD CONTACTED THE FLT DECK AGAIN TO SAY THAT 'THE PAX WAS NOT LOOKING TOO GOOD' AND THAT SHE WAS ADMINISTERING A SECOND BOTTLE OF OXYGEN. WE HAD DISPATCHED FROM SFB WITH 5 FULL (1500 PSI) PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLES, 4 OF WHICH ARE REQUIRED FOR DISPATCH. I TOLD THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT TO PAGE THE CABIN FOR A DOCTOR AND THERE WAS A DOCTOR ON BOARD. THE DOCTOR ATTENDED THE PAX FOR A BRIEF WHILE BEFORE ASKING TO SPEAK WITH ME. HE TOLD ME THAT THE PAX WAS VERY ILL AND NEEDED FURTHER MEDICAL ATTN. WE DECLARED 'LIFEGUARD' STATUS AND DIVERTED FLT TO ORF, WHICH WAS APPROX 65 NM AWAY. EMS MET THE FLT AT THE GATE AND ATTENDED THE ILL PAX FOR ABOUT 10 MINS BEFORE REMOVING HIM FROM THE AIRPLANE. APPARENTLY, THE MAN WAS APCHING HAVING A HEART ATTACK, BUT I BELIEVE THAT HE IS FINE. NOW, IN THE PROCESS OF THE CONTINUATION OF FLT AND ALL THAT IT ENTAILED, FLT RELEASES, FUEL BIAS, COM WITH CREW, COMPANY, AND PAX, I FAILED TO COMPUTE THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF OXYGEN THAT WAS CONSUMED FROM THE PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLES. WHAT WE HAD ENDED UP WITH IN ORF WAS 2 FULL PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLES EACH WITH 1500 PSI AND 3 PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLES EACH WITH 500 PSI, WHICH COULD TOTAL UP TO 3 PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLES AVAILABLE FOR THE SEGMENT ORF TO SWF. TECHNICALLY, WE NEEDED 4 PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLES TO DISPATCH. WE (I) WERE 1 PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLE SHORT. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS WAS NOT INTENTIONAL BUT AN OVERSIGHT ON MY PART THAT PERHAPS STEMMED FROM INADEQUATE COM WITH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CONCERNING THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN USED. THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION BTWN MYSELF AND DISPATCH (FLT FOLLOWING) CONCERNING THE PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLES. I CHKED MY COCKPIT OPS MANUAL AND 'FCOM' FOR GUIDANCE CONCERNING OXYGEN USAGE BY PAX, AND WHILE THE MANUALS CLRLY POINT OUT THE LOCATION OF THE PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLES, THERE IS NO OTHER PUBLISHED GUIDANCE. THAT GUIDANCE I LEARNED LATER ON IS FOUND IN THE FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL. I HAD ENTERED THE PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLE USAGE INTO THE ACFT MAINT LOG AND ALL THE BOTTLES WERE FILLED WHILE IN SWF.

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.