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Cabin attendant advised flight crew of ill passenger. Crew declared emergency and landed as soon as possible; but failed to select 7700 on the transponder.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 702850 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200607 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 20000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zzz.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-900 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 702850 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event : passenger illness non adherence : far non adherence : company policies |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
During descent; I was called by flight attendant and informed that an elderly male was experiencing what appeared to be heart problems. He was on oxygen and not doing well; being in and out of consciousness. Handed the aircraft over to the first officer; who did an outstanding job; and took over role of monitoring pilot as well as working the emergency. After declaring the emergency; and working the ATC and ground operations issues; as well as coordinating actions with the cabin; I failed to select 7700 on the transponder. We have no reference lists for this type of event; so no checklists were missed; but due to workload; simply forgot to squawk emergency. Most likely due to an all-nighter; I believe lack of alertness due to normal fatigue was an issue. Possibly a generic emergency checklist; not associated with a specific aircraft or security procedure.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CABIN ATTENDANT ADVISED FLT CREW OF ILL PAX. CREW DECLARED EMER AND LANDED ASAP; BUT FAILED TO SELECT 7700 ON THE XPONDER.
Narrative: DURING DSCNT; I WAS CALLED BY FLT ATTENDANT AND INFORMED THAT AN ELDERLY MALE WAS EXPERIENCING WHAT APPEARED TO BE HEART PROBS. HE WAS ON OXYGEN AND NOT DOING WELL; BEING IN AND OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS. HANDED THE ACFT OVER TO THE FO; WHO DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB; AND TOOK OVER ROLE OF MONITORING PLT AS WELL AS WORKING THE EMER. AFTER DECLARING THE EMER; AND WORKING THE ATC AND GND OPS ISSUES; AS WELL AS COORDINATING ACTIONS WITH THE CABIN; I FAILED TO SELECT 7700 ON THE XPONDER. WE HAVE NO REF LISTS FOR THIS TYPE OF EVENT; SO NO CHKLISTS WERE MISSED; BUT DUE TO WORKLOAD; SIMPLY FORGOT TO SQUAWK EMER. MOST LIKELY DUE TO AN ALL-NIGHTER; I BELIEVE LACK OF ALERTNESS DUE TO NORMAL FATIGUE WAS AN ISSUE. POSSIBLY A GENERIC EMER CHKLIST; NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A SPECIFIC ACFT OR SECURITY PROC.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.