Narrative:

Cust service agent advised crew prior to door closure that customer in xd (mr X) had his own oxygen concentrator (indogen?...verified as one that is allowed) and that the battery power may not last for the entire flight. I checked with mr and mrs X to see just how much battery power was left; and the charger showed there to be 82% battery power remaining. I then asked them how long the battery normally lasts and was told 5 hours. With a flight time of 5+35; I let the captain and other crew know about the situation. We decided to take the customers; knowing that we would eventually need to use the portable oxygen bottles on board. After about 2 hours into the flight; mrs X rang her call light and advised the 'battery low' light was flashing on the concentrator. A bottle of therapeutic oxygen was retrieved and mr X began using the bottle with his own canula with the valve only opened about half way (when opened fully; mr X complained that the flow was too much). I advised the flight deck and was asked by the captain if medical should be notified. I told him that it was my opinion that mr X was fine so long as he was on the oxygen; and that unless absolutely necessary; there was no need to notify medical. With a little over 3 hours of flight time remaining; we continued to switch from one pob to another as each one reached their respective minimum levels (I did let the therapeutic bottle go below 250 psi; as I was distraction for a bit by a customer in the main cabin who wanted to speak to the flight attendant in charge regarding a complaint); but the decompression bottles were taken down to 1500 psi; and the flight attendant mobility bottles were taken down to 1000 psi each. Captain was notified with each bottle switch; and advised that if we should run through the last 2 pobs; that we would have to drop altitude to 25000 ft and that we would not have enough fuel to make it to destination. At this point; we were running through the oxygen bottles fairly rapidly. I asked the captain if he thought it was possible for us to use the electrical outlets in the galley to recharge the battery of the customer's oxygen concentrator. The captain advised that it was okay to use the outlet; and I told him that we had been advised never to use these as they may damage the devices connected to them. He advised that it should be fine; and under the circumstances it was the best choice. We asked the couple if this would be okay with them; and they were very cooperative. We brought the concentrator to the galley and charged the battery back up to around 80%; which was more than enough power by this time to supply mr X with oxygen until we landed. All used oxygen bottles were written up (5 total) on a discrepancy form and given to the captain. Mr and mrs X; while never fully aware of the potential of diversion; were very grateful for the help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT ABOARD B737-800 RESORTED TO USING ACFT PWR TO RECHARGE PAX OXYGEN APPARATUS; THEREBY PREVENTING DIVERSION FOR LACK OF PAX OXYGEN BOTTLES.

Narrative: CUST SVC AGENT ADVISED CREW PRIOR TO DOOR CLOSURE THAT CUSTOMER IN XD (MR X) HAD HIS OWN OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR (INDOGEN?...VERIFIED AS ONE THAT IS ALLOWED) AND THAT THE BATTERY PWR MAY NOT LAST FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. I CHKED WITH MR AND MRS X TO SEE JUST HOW MUCH BATTERY PWR WAS LEFT; AND THE CHARGER SHOWED THERE TO BE 82% BATTERY PWR REMAINING. I THEN ASKED THEM HOW LONG THE BATTERY NORMALLY LASTS AND WAS TOLD 5 HRS. WITH A FLT TIME OF 5+35; I LET THE CAPT AND OTHER CREW KNOW ABOUT THE SITUATION. WE DECIDED TO TAKE THE CUSTOMERS; KNOWING THAT WE WOULD EVENTUALLY NEED TO USE THE PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLES ON BOARD. AFTER ABOUT 2 HRS INTO THE FLT; MRS X RANG HER CALL LIGHT AND ADVISED THE 'BATTERY LOW' LIGHT WAS FLASHING ON THE CONCENTRATOR. A BOTTLE OF THERAPEUTIC OXYGEN WAS RETRIEVED AND MR X BEGAN USING THE BOTTLE WITH HIS OWN CANULA WITH THE VALVE ONLY OPENED ABOUT HALF WAY (WHEN OPENED FULLY; MR X COMPLAINED THAT THE FLOW WAS TOO MUCH). I ADVISED THE FLT DECK AND WAS ASKED BY THE CAPT IF MEDICAL SHOULD BE NOTIFIED. I TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS MY OPINION THAT MR X WAS FINE SO LONG AS HE WAS ON THE OXYGEN; AND THAT UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY; THERE WAS NO NEED TO NOTIFY MEDICAL. WITH A LITTLE OVER 3 HRS OF FLT TIME REMAINING; WE CONTINUED TO SWITCH FROM ONE POB TO ANOTHER AS EACH ONE REACHED THEIR RESPECTIVE MINIMUM LEVELS (I DID LET THE THERAPEUTIC BOTTLE GO BELOW 250 PSI; AS I WAS DISTR FOR A BIT BY A CUSTOMER IN THE MAIN CABIN WHO WANTED TO SPEAK TO THE FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE REGARDING A COMPLAINT); BUT THE DECOMPRESSION BOTTLES WERE TAKEN DOWN TO 1500 PSI; AND THE FLT ATTENDANT MOBILITY BOTTLES WERE TAKEN DOWN TO 1000 PSI EACH. CAPT WAS NOTIFIED WITH EACH BOTTLE SWITCH; AND ADVISED THAT IF WE SHOULD RUN THROUGH THE LAST 2 POBS; THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DROP ALT TO 25000 FT AND THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT TO DEST. AT THIS POINT; WE WERE RUNNING THROUGH THE OXYGEN BOTTLES FAIRLY RAPIDLY. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR US TO USE THE ELECTRICAL OUTLETS IN THE GALLEY TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY OF THE CUSTOMER'S OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR. THE CAPT ADVISED THAT IT WAS OKAY TO USE THE OUTLET; AND I TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD BEEN ADVISED NEVER TO USE THESE AS THEY MAY DAMAGE THE DEVICES CONNECTED TO THEM. HE ADVISED THAT IT SHOULD BE FINE; AND UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES IT WAS THE BEST CHOICE. WE ASKED THE COUPLE IF THIS WOULD BE OKAY WITH THEM; AND THEY WERE VERY COOPERATIVE. WE BROUGHT THE CONCENTRATOR TO THE GALLEY AND CHARGED THE BATTERY BACK UP TO AROUND 80%; WHICH WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH PWR BY THIS TIME TO SUPPLY MR X WITH OXYGEN UNTIL WE LANDED. ALL USED OXYGEN BOTTLES WERE WRITTEN UP (5 TOTAL) ON A DISCREPANCY FORM AND GIVEN TO THE CAPT. MR AND MRS X; WHILE NEVER FULLY AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL OF DIVERSION; WERE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE HELP.

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.