A flight attendant questioned whether a sleep apnea device was legal for use in flight.

Attributes
ACN	809070
Time
Date	200810
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
ASRS Report	809070
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger electronic device non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

We had a customer in seat xxf who was in possession of a 'sleep apnea' breathing machine. He was using it during flight and I was asked by the business class flight attendants if he could use it. We all know passenger are not allowed to use their own oxygen tanks; however this was not an oxygen tank. The business class flight attendants and myself researched the flight attendant manual which did not indicate if the device was an approved electronic nor if it was a disapproved electronic. As purser I made the decision that since it didn't specifically state he could 'not' use it and since tsa allowed him through security with the machine; we indeed would allow him to continue to use it. I later checked the flight attendant manual again and there is nothing listed if these machines are approved or not. This issue needs to be addressed as the disease of sleep apnea is becoming more popular in today's society. So was the passenger allowed to use his own breathing machine?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLIGHT ATTENDANT QUESTIONED WHETHER A SLEEP APNEA DEVICE WAS LEGAL FOR USE IN FLIGHT.

Narrative: WE HAD A CUSTOMER IN SEAT XXF WHO WAS IN POSSESSION OF A 'SLEEP APNEA' BREATHING MACHINE. HE WAS USING IT DURING FLT AND I WAS ASKED BY THE BUSINESS CLASS FLT ATTENDANTS IF HE COULD USE IT. WE ALL KNOW PAX ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEIR OWN OXYGEN TANKS; HOWEVER THIS WAS NOT AN OXYGEN TANK. THE BUSINESS CLASS FLT ATTENDANTS AND MYSELF RESEARCHED THE FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL WHICH DID NOT INDICATE IF THE DEVICE WAS AN APPROVED ELECTRONIC NOR IF IT WAS A DISAPPROVED ELECTRONIC. AS PURSER I MADE THE DECISION THAT SINCE IT DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY STATE HE COULD 'NOT' USE IT AND SINCE TSA ALLOWED HIM THROUGH SECURITY WITH THE MACHINE; WE INDEED WOULD ALLOW HIM TO CONTINUE TO USE IT. I LATER CHKED THE FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL AGAIN AND THERE IS NOTHING LISTED IF THESE MACHINES ARE APPROVED OR NOT. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS THE DISEASE OF SLEEP APNEA IS BECOMING MORE POPULAR IN TODAY'S SOCIETY. SO WAS THE PAX ALLOWED TO USE HIS OWN BREATHING MACHINE?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.