Huh?

[Groundpounder]

Found this on the NTSB website:

DESCRIPTION:
COA757, A B737, FROM CLEVELAND TO LAS VEGAS, NV RECEIVED PRIORITY HANDLING INTO LAS VEGAS MCCARRAN INT'L ARPT WITH A FEMALE PASSENGER, WHO INJURIED HER ANKLE ON THE JETWAY DURING BOARDING AT CLEVELAND. PARAMEDICS DETERMINED THE ANKLE WAS NOT BROKEN. LAS VEGAS, NV

So, someone hurt their ankle when they got on the plane in CLE, and they got 'priority handling' to LAS? Too bad that doesn't happen on the flights I take, maybe they would actually be on time!!

 

[say again]

I think she's on to something here!!!

 

[FN FAL]

So, someone hurt their ankle when they got on the plane in CLE, and they got 'priority handling' to LAS? Too bad that doesn't happen on the flights I take, maybe they would actually be on time!!

Right out of definitions in NTSB 830...

Serious injury means any injury which: (1) Requires hospitalization for more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date of the injury was received; (2) results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose); (3) causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; (4) involves any internal organ; or (5) involves second- or third-degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface.

I'd say that unless the Captain could make a prognosis that it wasn't a "tendon" that was damaged, he did the right thing. If the NTSB defines "tendon" damage in the Codified Regulations, it wouldn't be too hard for lawyer to try and sue the Captain, the First Officer, the Flight Attendants, the Airline and so on...for not treating the injury seriously enough.

Also note that it would have made the NTSB reports anyway, she got injured boarding the aircraft. The pilots were covering their asses and doing their job.

Sec. 830.2 Definitions.

As used in this part the following words or phrases are defined as follows:

Aircraft accident means an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, and in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or in which the aircraft receives substantial damage.

 

[Icelandair]

Why didnt they remove her and get her treated in CLE then if she got hurt there?

 

[Groundpounder]

Right out of definitions in NTSB 830...
I'd say that unless the Captain could make a prognosis that it wasn't a "tendon" that was damaged, he did the right thing. If the NTSB defines "tendon" damage in the Codified Regulations, it wouldn't be too hard for lawyer to try and sue the Captain, the First Officer, the Flight Attendants, the Airline and so on...for not treating the injury seriously enough.

Also note that it would have made the NTSB reports anyway, she got injured boarding the aircraft. The pilots were covering their asses and doing their job.

I understand that, but why did the flight leave CLE?

 

[FN FAL]

Why didnt they remove her and get her treated in CLE then if she got hurt there?

Maybe the injury wasn't apparent when she boarded...but did so after the flight was airborne.

We've all turned an ankle before...one minute it's seems ok, the next minute it swells up the size of a grapefruit.

 

[chperplt]

one minute it's seems ok, the next minute it swells up the size of a grapefruit.

That's what happened to my nuts after my hernia operation 10 years ago... I woke up he next day and OUCH!!!

 

[freeflyer14]

That's what happened to my nuts after my hernia operation 10 years ago... I woke up he next day and OUCH!!!

I am guessing I probably could have gone the rest of my day without hearing that one...

 

[bafanguy]

There are lots of angles on deals like this. I think FN FAL probably has a good idea on this lady's ankle story.


As far as what you do about pax illness or injury, I always felt caution was the best route. I've had deals all the way from a little bump on the head to landing with two MD's doing CPR on a guy on the galley floor.

If the pax had minor stuff and was alert, I always told the FA's to page for onboard MD's, RN's, EMT's, and tell them I'd land at the first available airport if they or the pax felt they needed immediate care...get witnesses to the offer and its rejection for later lawsuits if the pax declined.

Pax unconscious ? That's pretty easy. I was never entirely comfortable with the phone patch to the ground docs. Seems they'd need to see the pax themselves to have an accurate idea of what to do. I'd sure hate to take that "continue on" advice and have the pax croak when they might have been OK if we'd just landed in 30 minutes instead of flying another hour or two.

This can be a tough call all the way around. Things like this must happen a lot.

 

[k_EAT=ho_ME]

Anyone else ever hold Sierra SW (or SE, NE, NW) for an hour or more at BET, when all of the sudden, someone "becomes" a Lifeguard flight and gets right in? I've heard stories of (name of company removed to avoid flaming) dispatchers telling their pilots on Co. freq that someone is probably feeling poorly (wink, wink, nod, nod, say no more.)