Narrative:

While doing the first beverage service; I noticed a passenger in 12B on O2. As I was contemplating asking if he needed to use his concentrator during all phases of the flight; I checked my manifest and noticed he wasn't even listed as having an O2 concentrator. As I was about to ask him a question or two; the passenger in 13B asked me if his (12B) O2 bottle ran out; would we have O2 bottles for him to use on board. I almost chuckled as I said 'he's not using O2 from a bottle; it's an O2 concentrator; but we have no info about it even being on board.' she replied that he indeed was using an O2 bottle as he has lung cancer and only 25% use of one of his lungs. I must have had a very odd look on my face as I said 'but he can't bring his own O2 bottle on board an aircraft; totally not allowed!' 'how did you get past the tsa?' she said they discovered the bottle; took it; checked it out; and returned it saying it was okay. My comment was 'they what?' 'so; no one else was informed that you had this and intended to use it on the plane? Turn it off please; now.' I went and retrieved one of our portable oxygen bottles (pobs) and asked the D flight attendant to tell the a flight attendant to notify the flight deck. The passenger in 13B was the girlfriend of the passenger in 12B. She also told me he has used his own pob on many other flights before. She didn't say which airline.being the C flight attendant; I'm not allowed to be forward of the exit rows for boarding; nor would I leave my cabin area of responsibility prior to takeoff. After takeoff; I'm setting up my cart as the B and D flight attendants are [completing other service duties]. So; not sure how I could have done anything different due to my position. Had I been working a position where I would have seen mr. [12 B] on what I would have assumed was an O2 concentrator; I would have looked at my manifest to see if he was listed as using one. I would have then asked him if he needed to use it during all phases of flight including takeoff and landing; where I may have asked to move him to a window seat so as not to block/hamper other passengers egress to the main aisle in an emergency. That exchange most likely would have brought about a discovery of an O2 bottle and not a concentrator.I think lesson #1 is never assume a darn thing! Many passengers are not aware they need to disclose plans to use an O2 concentrator and I have watched them come onboard only to discover they aren't listed on my manifest. I then have time to contact an agent to see if they are aware of it and it just hasn't showed up on my manifest yet. I strongly suggest all flight attendants be very aware of passengers using O2 and watch for the device when passengers are boarding; then verify we all know about it. None of that would have mattered in this instance as his O2 bottle was concealed in a small black oblong bag. Boarding an aircraft is a crazy busy time for all concerned. All the more reason to be alert then; as well as any time after takeoff; to things like a passengers using (what should only be) an O2 concentrator and checking to make sure they are listed in our manifest or the proper tag has been placed on it by our agents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Flight Attendant reported discovering a lung cancer patient inhaling oxygen from a personal bottle not listed on the manifest. The bottle was turned off and replaced with an onboard bottle.

Narrative: While doing the first beverage service; I noticed a passenger in 12B on O2. As I was contemplating asking if he needed to use his concentrator during all phases of the flight; I checked my manifest and noticed he wasn't even listed as having an O2 concentrator. As I was about to ask him a question or two; the passenger in 13B asked me if his (12B) O2 bottle ran out; would we have O2 bottles for him to use on board. I almost chuckled as I said 'he's not using O2 from a bottle; it's an O2 concentrator; but we have no info about it even being on board.' She replied that he indeed was using an O2 bottle as he has lung cancer and only 25% use of one of his lungs. I must have had a very odd look on my face as I said 'but he can't bring his own O2 bottle on board an aircraft; totally not allowed!' 'How did you get past the TSA?' She said they discovered the bottle; took it; checked it out; and returned it saying it was okay. My comment was 'they what?' 'So; no one else was informed that you had this and intended to use it on the plane? Turn it off please; now.' I went and retrieved one of our Portable Oxygen Bottles (POBs) and asked the D flight attendant to tell the A flight attendant to notify the flight deck. The passenger in 13B was the girlfriend of the passenger in 12B. She also told me he has used his own POB on many other flights before. She didn't say which airline.Being the C flight attendant; I'm not allowed to be forward of the exit rows for boarding; nor would I leave my cabin area of responsibility prior to takeoff. After takeoff; I'm setting up my cart as the B and D flight attendants are [completing other service duties]. So; not sure how I could have done anything different due to my position. Had I been working a position where I would have seen Mr. [12 B] on what I would have assumed was an O2 concentrator; I would have looked at my manifest to see if he was listed as using one. I would have then asked him if he needed to use it during all phases of flight including takeoff and landing; where I may have asked to move him to a window seat so as not to block/hamper other passengers egress to the main aisle in an emergency. That exchange most likely would have brought about a discovery of an O2 bottle and not a concentrator.I think lesson #1 is never assume a darn thing! Many passengers are not aware they need to disclose plans to use an O2 concentrator and I have watched them come onboard only to discover they aren't listed on my manifest. I then have time to contact an agent to see if they are aware of it and it just hasn't showed up on my manifest yet. I strongly suggest all flight attendants be very aware of passengers using O2 and watch for the device when passengers are boarding; then verify we all know about it. None of that would have mattered in this instance as his O2 bottle was concealed in a small black oblong bag. Boarding an aircraft is a crazy busy time for all concerned. All the more reason to be alert then; as well as any time after takeoff; to things like a passengers using (what should only be) an O2 concentrator and checking to make sure they are listed in our manifest or the proper tag has been placed on it by our agents.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.