Cabin attendant refuses boarding to passenger who states lap child with whom she is traveling has ch...

Attributes
ACN	720324
Time
Date	200611
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
ASRS Report	720324
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 1 cabin att
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Company Environmental Factor Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

A passenger came on with a lap child with 7 mins to go before departure and said to me; 'I hope this flight is not full and no one is sitting next to me because my baby has the chicken pox' and that point I said to her that she cannot fly but she ignored me and went back to her seat. I informed an in-flight supervisor on the jetway and then told the captain. He said that we needed to get passenger agent up to the plane and a supervisor. The supervisor came up and said 'well she is already on the plane and has infected everyone so what is the problem?' I said the problem was that I would not take this woman. After a brief discussion with the woman; she was taken off of the airplane. I just recently found out that the supervisor put the woman on the next flight to sfo. The reasoning for this was that they said that the child didn't have chicken pox it was hives and that the woman lied to me. Well if she lied to me what is to say that she did not lie to them as well just to get herself on the flight. I saw the child and it was the chicken pox. So I believe this supervisor put people at risk to a serious health problem. My flight had about 20 children and infants and 2 pregnant women. Who knows who was on the next flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT REFUSES BOARDING TO PAX WHO STATES LAP CHILD WITH WHOM SHE IS TRAVELING HAS CHICKEN POX. PAX AGENT REMOVES BOTH BUT ALLOWS THEM TO BOARD AND FLY THE NEXT FLT WITH A DIFFERENT STORY ABOUT THE REASON FOR THE CHILD'S RASH.

Narrative: A PAX CAME ON WITH A LAP CHILD WITH 7 MINS TO GO BEFORE DEP AND SAID TO ME; 'I HOPE THIS FLT IS NOT FULL AND NO ONE IS SITTING NEXT TO ME BECAUSE MY BABY HAS THE CHICKEN POX' AND THAT POINT I SAID TO HER THAT SHE CANNOT FLY BUT SHE IGNORED ME AND WENT BACK TO HER SEAT. I INFORMED AN INFLT SUPVR ON THE JETWAY AND THEN TOLD THE CAPT. HE SAID THAT WE NEEDED TO GET PAX AGENT UP TO THE PLANE AND A SUPVR. THE SUPVR CAME UP AND SAID 'WELL SHE IS ALREADY ON THE PLANE AND HAS INFECTED EVERYONE SO WHAT IS THE PROB?' I SAID THE PROB WAS THAT I WOULD NOT TAKE THIS WOMAN. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH THE WOMAN; SHE WAS TAKEN OFF OF THE AIRPLANE. I JUST RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT THE SUPVR PUT THE WOMAN ON THE NEXT FLT TO SFO. THE REASONING FOR THIS WAS THAT THEY SAID THAT THE CHILD DIDN'T HAVE CHICKEN POX IT WAS HIVES AND THAT THE WOMAN LIED TO ME. WELL IF SHE LIED TO ME WHAT IS TO SAY THAT SHE DID NOT LIE TO THEM AS WELL JUST TO GET HERSELF ON THE FLT. I SAW THE CHILD AND IT WAS THE CHICKEN POX. SO I BELIEVE THIS SUPVR PUT PEOPLE AT RISK TO A SERIOUS HEALTH PROB. MY FLT HAD ABOUT 20 CHILDREN AND INFANTS AND 2 PREGNANT WOMEN. WHO KNOWS WHO WAS ON THE NEXT FLT.

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.

Cabin attendant refuses boarding to passenger who states lap child with whom she is traveling has chicken pox. Passenger agent removes both but allows them to board and fly the next flight with a different story about the reason for the child's rash.