Woman Dies on AA. Ouch!

[jke406]

Pssst. Here's a little secret: the bottles weren't empty.

But that's what CNN said! Are you saying CNN would lie?

 

[skiandsurf]

I was flying a transcon flight. Prior to departure, this female pax came into the cockpit to talk to us. She was telling us that she has asthma, and thought we should know about it. She told us were her meds were, and also told us that she was a paramedic.

About an hour into the flight, the FAs called up saying that this pax was having a bad asthma attack. We got medlink on the radio, and had a doctor in the back. Talking to Medlink, the company dispatcher listening in, and talking to the FAs in the back. The medlink doc and the doc onboard, where saying we needed to land. With dispatch listening in, they sent an ACARS message to divert to DTW. They had notified our DTW ops that we were diverting inbound.

Now my case was different, as it didnt end in death, but you can get an idea of whats going on up there.

 

[LJDRVR]

But that's what CNN said! Are you saying CNN would lie?

You certainly believed their initial story. Why are you backtracking now with your pathetic attempt at sarcasm?

Answer my questions:

• Do you really believe American Airlines didn't have O2 on that flight?

• Are you an airline pilot?

 

[learflyer]

You certainly believed their initial story. Why are you backtracking now with your pathetic attempt at sarcasm?

Answer my questions:

• Do you really believe American Airlines didn't have O2 on that flight?

• Are you an airline pilot?

I bet the FA stuff was true though. Once again, airlining blows.

 

[LJDRVR]

I bet the FA stuff was true though. Once again, airlining blows.

Sorry you feel that way. As far as the FA's go, I'm betting you're wrong.

 

[Say Again Over]

If you care to admit, I will be telling everyone I know who asks me about this story that Airline (Wino) would do the same thing, and I'd never fly on them.

406, do some reading, what Wino says is soooo true, by the way, to administer oxygen requires some type of medical certification, it is considered a drug, sounds like AA was following SOP's?

 

[Amish RakeFight]

Its about time jke406 got banned.

 

[ultrarunner]

And MD can call the time of death. The MD on board that makes this declaration doesn't give a $hit how far the deceased is away from the "jet bridge". It's been 'declared' and the time is noted.

 

[flydog1]

Pssst. Here's a little secret: the bottles weren't empty.

Were you on the plane, or part of the crew?

 

[kf4amu]

1. You cant be giving oxygen to every retard who says they need it. If you did, people who are hyperventilating would be getting oxygen...even though hyperventilating is a contraindication for oxygen administration.

2. High flow Oxygen doesnt fix people. It MAY prolong or increase vital signs, but it wont fix anything.

3. AED's wont shock a heart unless its in a specific rythym. Flatline is not one of them. So true, "it didnt work"...but then again it might not have been designed to.

4. Not a captain, but how do you determine the validity of a MD's credentials? There have been lawsuits against EMS, and doctors who assisted at a crash scene and claimed to be a "Doctor" but were merely a Chiropractor or Dentist etc. Without foolproof identification, you cant take their word or the onus is now on you for not doing due diligence.

Horrible reporting, but typical.

 

[LJDRVR]

Were you on the plane, or part of the crew?

No, but if you'll search the media outlets for American's response, you'll find the airline claims that O2 was administered and that the bottle worked.

Back to your original point: You claim that faced with a similar situation, if the Captain decided to continue you would

"call an emgerancy [sic] and land"

Again, my apologies if English is not your native tongue. I've been flying for twenty five years and I've never heard anybody refer to it as "call" an emergency. Did you mean "Declare" an emergency? (The phraseology an actual pilot would use?)

Regardless of your first language, what really amazes me is your suggestion that you would land anyway. Are you assuming control of the aircraft here?

I'm going out on a limb here:

You are a poser.

If you're for real, I'm glad I'll never have to share a cockpit with you.

 

[Bai B Nai]

Hey, maybe Les Abend WAS the captain on that flight?? He's always doing the JFK-MIA-Caribbeano routes.
Can't wait for next month's FLYING mag!

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

Gents:

-There were 9 Oxygen bottles on that aircraft.

-A Doctor was on the aircraft and attended to the pax

 

[J32driver]

J32

Are you sure you wouldn't be sued for abandoning the pax and traveling companion somewhere short of the destination when there was no reason to stop?




...diversion is the wrong answer... ESPECIALLY ON AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT!

Cheers
Wino

International flights divert every now and then. Its a pain in the butt, but nothing more. But the logistics of the divert isn't the real question.

The only question is: Do you treat the passenger as if they are really dead or not?

I'm not saying what is right or wrong. All I'm saying is that if you choose the most conservative approach (treat the passenger as a medical emergency and divert) then you have done the best you can for the ailing passenger, and the best you can to protect your company from litigation.

When they put me on the stand, I want to be able to say that I did everything I could to assist my ailing passenger.

 

[Wino]

Okay,
So the jetstream operator still wants to divert.

So you divert, and you land 3 hours short of your destination and 30,000+ lbs overwieght. you land overweight, blow some tires, get a brake fire and evac the aircraft. 16 pax are injured in the evacuation and the aircraft needs a 1 million dollar inspection.

Still did the conservative thing? Or did you go off half cocked and injure people for no reason.

And you STILL haven't done the dead pax a favor. Instead of bringing him to his or her family, you have left her 1200 miles short of her family, who will now have to pay to have her transported to NY. Does a greiving family really want that extra burden? I know if my wife died on the flight, I would want the body IMMEDIATELY, and I would be pissed if they had dumped her like a sack of trash and ran.

Furthermore, if you happen to be Jewish, the body has to be in the ground by sundown, so again, how is diverting helping?



Cheers
Wino