Narrative:

We were 30 mins late leaving fll for dfw. As the gate agent closed the door the #1 flight attendant told us she had a problem with a passenger with a broken leg. Soon she returned with a pair of crutches, and seemed to indicate the problem was solved. After push back she returned to the cockpit and told us the passenger was using a carry-on bag to propeller up the leg and refused to stow it in an approved compartment. We reviewed and concluded we were required to take the passenger and accommodate her disability. After landing at dfw and contacting a cabin supervisor we realized we had made a mistake, and the bag should have been stowed. Supplemental information from acn 382960: a woman passenger was brought on the aircraft at fll with a full leg cast. Her knee was immobile. The woman was in 1ST class, bulkhead, window, next to her husband. She was short, so sitting in coach with her leg on a pushed over seat was impractical. Because she was at a window bulkhead seat and because of her handicap, I felt that allowing a soft-side carry-on piece with blankets on it for her leg support was ok and told the flight attendants to do it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD80 FLC ALLOWED A PAX TO USE A PIECE OF LUGGAGE TO SUPPORT HER FULLY-CASTED LEG. THIS WAS IN VIOLATION OF FARS AND THEIR FLT MANUAL. THEY WERE, APPARENTLY, CONFUSED OVER GENERAL STATEMENTS CONCERNING THE ACCOMMODATION OF HANDICAPPED PAX.

Narrative: WE WERE 30 MINS LATE LEAVING FLL FOR DFW. AS THE GATE AGENT CLOSED THE DOOR THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TOLD US SHE HAD A PROB WITH A PAX WITH A BROKEN LEG. SOON SHE RETURNED WITH A PAIR OF CRUTCHES, AND SEEMED TO INDICATE THE PROB WAS SOLVED. AFTER PUSH BACK SHE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND TOLD US THE PAX WAS USING A CARRY-ON BAG TO PROP UP THE LEG AND REFUSED TO STOW IT IN AN APPROVED COMPARTMENT. WE REVIEWED AND CONCLUDED WE WERE REQUIRED TO TAKE THE PAX AND ACCOMMODATE HER DISABILITY. AFTER LNDG AT DFW AND CONTACTING A CABIN SUPVR WE REALIZED WE HAD MADE A MISTAKE, AND THE BAG SHOULD HAVE BEEN STOWED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 382960: A WOMAN PAX WAS BROUGHT ON THE ACFT AT FLL WITH A FULL LEG CAST. HER KNEE WAS IMMOBILE. THE WOMAN WAS IN 1ST CLASS, BULKHEAD, WINDOW, NEXT TO HER HUSBAND. SHE WAS SHORT, SO SITTING IN COACH WITH HER LEG ON A PUSHED OVER SEAT WAS IMPRACTICAL. BECAUSE SHE WAS AT A WINDOW BULKHEAD SEAT AND BECAUSE OF HER HANDICAP, I FELT THAT ALLOWING A SOFT-SIDE CARRY-ON PIECE WITH BLANKETS ON IT FOR HER LEG SUPPORT WAS OK AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO DO IT.

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.