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Pilot report, boarding in msy, passenger boarded with battery (dry cell) operated wheelchair. Captain hesitated about loading wheelchair in cargo, then acquiesced.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 476253 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200006 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | LA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : dtw.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | cabin event : passenger electronic device cabin event other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance Company |
| Primary Problem | Passenger Human Performance |
Narrative:
Passenger showed up to the gate shortly before departure with a motorized wheelchair and was brought down to the aircraft. The passenger refused to take a later flight and requested firmly to go on this flight. The problem was the wheelchair. Access to the battery was severely restr, as the battery was covered by 1/4 inch fiberglass housing. The motor could be disengaged by an external switch rendering the chair unpwred and very immovable. It was decided in agreement with gate agent, maintenance, and ultimately me, that we would transport the wheelchair with its dry cell battery in that condition. Factors in the decision were the very low center of gravity of the chair, its extreme weight, the fiberglas protection around the battery, and the immovability of the chair once the motor was disengaged. Flight departed and landed in mia with no problems.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT RPT, BOARDING IN MSY, PAX BOARDED WITH BATTERY (DRY CELL) OPERATED WHEELCHAIR. CAPT HESITATED ABOUT LOADING WHEELCHAIR IN CARGO, THEN ACQUIESCED.
Narrative: PAX SHOWED UP TO THE GATE SHORTLY BEFORE DEP WITH A MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR AND WAS BROUGHT DOWN TO THE ACFT. THE PAX REFUSED TO TAKE A LATER FLT AND REQUESTED FIRMLY TO GO ON THIS FLT. THE PROB WAS THE WHEELCHAIR. ACCESS TO THE BATTERY WAS SEVERELY RESTR, AS THE BATTERY WAS COVERED BY 1/4 INCH FIBERGLASS HOUSING. THE MOTOR COULD BE DISENGAGED BY AN EXTERNAL SWITCH RENDERING THE CHAIR UNPWRED AND VERY IMMOVABLE. IT WAS DECIDED IN AGREEMENT WITH GATE AGENT, MAINT, AND ULTIMATELY ME, THAT WE WOULD TRANSPORT THE WHEELCHAIR WITH ITS DRY CELL BATTERY IN THAT CONDITION. FACTORS IN THE DECISION WERE THE VERY LOW CTR OF GRAVITY OF THE CHAIR, ITS EXTREME WT, THE FIBERGLAS PROTECTION AROUND THE BATTERY, AND THE IMMOVABILITY OF THE CHAIR ONCE THE MOTOR WAS DISENGAGED. FLT DEPARTED AND LANDED IN MIA WITH NO PROBS.
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.