Narrative:

I flew on a flight from pittsburgh, PA, to houston, tx. With my survival in mind, I specifically requested to be seated next to an emergency escape hatch and was so seated. Knowing that in an emergency evacuate/evacuation situation, the emergency escape hatch by which I was seated might well become inoperable, I paid close attention to the emergency escape hatch immediately across the aisle from me. I was very disturbed by what I saw. Seated at this emergency escape hatch position was a very large man. I estimate his weight to be well over 200 pounds. I weigh 92 pounds and although I am strong, lifting him out of the way in order to open the emergency escape hatch would be impossible for me...hard indeed for anyone else, even a large man. The above would be un-notable were it not for the fact that the flight attendants on flight served this man three mixed drinks and one glass of wine, all within a very short period of time. The man, apparently sedated and anesthetized by the alcohol (who knows how much he had consumed before boarding the aircraft), passed out. Had an emergency evacuate/evacuation situation have occurred, this man would have been unable to function. He would have been in the way. There might have been a tragic pile-up at that hatch. At the flight's conclusion I complained to the captain. The steward stood by and listened. The captain was very disturbed by my report. He said that he definitely felt that this was an unsafe condition but his hands were tied. He said that he did not believe that this particular problem had been addressed and suggested that I write you this letter. The steward was totally unaware of any danger posed by this situation. Apparently this danger was not covered during the steward's training. It is my professional opinion that alcoholic beverages should not be provided to passenger who elect to situation next to the emergency escape hatch. Further, specific training regarding the dangers of an alcohol impaired person seated at the escape hatch position and the necessity of preventing such, should be 'hammered in' during the cabin and flight crew's ground training courses. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the main concern was the number of drinks served to passenger. Husband is a pilot and she knows of the 8 hour from bottle to throttle for pilots. Wonders why not a no drinking regulation for those seated at emergency exits. Reporter wrote to the air carrier and to the FAA. Has received letters from both stating the regulations but not much more. She feels she may write to ralph nader or john nance. Analyst reminded her of the number of safe flts that takeoff and land each day, and how seldom an emergency does occur. Didn't matter to her. Told her there are usually 4 overwing exits. Didn't matter as 'you don't time to seek another exit'. Probably what bothered her is the response from the steward that she did not have to worry about opening the exit, that is why he is there. She chooses to worry and to try to take care of herself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX RPT REGARDING ANOTHER PAX AT EMER EXIT WHO IS SERVED LIQUOR IN FLT.

Narrative: I FLEW ON A FLT FROM PITTSBURGH, PA, TO HOUSTON, TX. WITH MY SURVIVAL IN MIND, I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED TO BE SEATED NEXT TO AN EMER ESCAPE HATCH AND WAS SO SEATED. KNOWING THAT IN AN EMER EVAC SIT, THE EMER ESCAPE HATCH BY WHICH I WAS SEATED MIGHT WELL BECOME INOPERABLE, I PAID CLOSE ATTN TO THE EMER ESCAPE HATCH IMMEDIATELY ACROSS THE AISLE FROM ME. I WAS VERY DISTURBED BY WHAT I SAW. SEATED AT THIS EMER ESCAPE HATCH POS WAS A VERY LARGE MAN. I ESTIMATE HIS WT TO BE WELL OVER 200 LBS. I WEIGH 92 LBS AND ALTHOUGH I AM STRONG, LIFTING HIM OUT OF THE WAY IN ORDER TO OPEN THE EMER ESCAPE HATCH WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME...HARD INDEED FOR ANYONE ELSE, EVEN A LARGE MAN. THE ABOVE WOULD BE UN-NOTABLE WERE IT NOT FOR THE FACT THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS ON FLT SERVED THIS MAN THREE MIXED DRINKS AND ONE GLASS OF WINE, ALL WITHIN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THE MAN, APPARENTLY SEDATED AND ANESTHETIZED BY THE ALCOHOL (WHO KNOWS HOW MUCH HE HAD CONSUMED BEFORE BOARDING THE ACFT), PASSED OUT. HAD AN EMER EVAC SIT HAVE OCCURRED, THIS MAN WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FUNCTION. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE WAY. THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A TRAGIC PILE-UP AT THAT HATCH. AT THE FLT'S CONCLUSION I COMPLAINED TO THE CAPT. THE STEWARD STOOD BY AND LISTENED. THE CAPT WAS VERY DISTURBED BY MY RPT. HE SAID THAT HE DEFINITELY FELT THAT THIS WAS AN UNSAFE CONDITION BUT HIS HANDS WERE TIED. HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS PARTICULAR PROB HAD BEEN ADDRESSED AND SUGGESTED THAT I WRITE YOU THIS LETTER. THE STEWARD WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF ANY DANGER POSED BY THIS SIT. APPARENTLY THIS DANGER WAS NOT COVERED DURING THE STEWARD'S TRAINING. IT IS MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION THAT ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES SHOULD NOT BE PROVIDED TO PAX WHO ELECT TO SIT NEXT TO THE EMER ESCAPE HATCH. FURTHER, SPECIFIC TRAINING REGARDING THE DANGERS OF AN ALCOHOL IMPAIRED PERSON SEATED AT THE ESCAPE HATCH POS AND THE NECESSITY OF PREVENTING SUCH, SHOULD BE 'HAMMERED IN' DURING THE CABIN AND FLC'S GND TRAINING COURSES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE MAIN CONCERN WAS THE NUMBER OF DRINKS SERVED TO PAX. HUSBAND IS A PLT AND SHE KNOWS OF THE 8 HR FROM BOTTLE TO THROTTLE FOR PLTS. WONDERS WHY NOT A NO DRINKING REG FOR THOSE SEATED AT EMER EXITS. RPTR WROTE TO THE ACR AND TO THE FAA. HAS RECEIVED LETTERS FROM BOTH STATING THE REGS BUT NOT MUCH MORE. SHE FEELS SHE MAY WRITE TO RALPH NADER OR JOHN NANCE. ANALYST REMINDED HER OF THE NUMBER OF SAFE FLTS THAT TKOF AND LAND EACH DAY, AND HOW SELDOM AN EMER DOES OCCUR. DIDN'T MATTER TO HER. TOLD HER THERE ARE USUALLY 4 OVERWING EXITS. DIDN'T MATTER AS 'YOU DON'T TIME TO SEEK ANOTHER EXIT'. PROBABLY WHAT BOTHERED HER IS THE RESPONSE FROM THE STEWARD THAT SHE DID NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT OPENING THE EXIT, THAT IS WHY HE IS THERE. SHE CHOOSES TO WORRY AND TO TRY TO TAKE CARE OF HERSELF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.