Narrative:

Captain announced 'flight attendants prepare for landing.' while these preparations were being made, flight attendant #8 was heading back to last r-hand overhead bin. As I was heading forward to check passenger for safety compliance, flight attendant #8 told me that he was getting oxygen for a passenger. I looked forward and saw flight attendants #7 and #3 attending a passenger. I moved to assist -- oxygen was administered to passenger with seemingly no results. I called cockpit to inform of situation and request paramedics upon arrival. A passenger physician who was seated a couple of rows forward came to assist. I called for attendant #1 to inform of situation and request medical equipment. A nurse and the physician placed passenger on floor and checked for vitals. Another physician came to assist. 2 physicians began cpr and through duration of landing until replaced by paramedics. At beginning of cpr by onboard physicians, defibrillator was attached to patient. A number of shocks were administered. Other times, defibrillator stated that no shock was necessary. Upon arrival at jfk gate, 2 police officers boarded aircraft to see how they could assist. Eventually, paramedics arrived, assessed situation, took over medical assistance, and removed patient. Human performance -- as I ponder this question: I was grateful to have 2 physicians and a nurse who were so readily available and willing to assist. I kept bringing my thoughts back to what else needed to be done, what other equipment was available. Not knowing what medicines we had in medical kits and what they were used for, made thinking of those kits delayed. Once these kits were opened at area of aircraft of this incident, I did not know what items were all in this kit, or of use for this situation. Physician had to fumble through kit to find hypodermic needle and medicine (appropriate). Our air carrier teaches us to refer to defibrillator by an acronym. I believe using universally understood term like 'defibrillator' will greatly benefit communications when working with non-air carrier flight attendant people (eg, doctors/nurses). I would like more instruction on how to deal with myself and others with stages of shock. Paramedic stated in front of crew and passenger that patient was a 'gonner.' I found this in bad taste and professionalism. I was surprised (taken aback) that this patient did not revive. He was only 31 yrs old.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 CREW HAD A PAX DEATH ON THE ACFT ON ARR AT JFK.

Narrative: CAPT ANNOUNCED 'FLT ATTENDANTS PREPARE FOR LNDG.' WHILE THESE PREPARATIONS WERE BEING MADE, FLT ATTENDANT #8 WAS HDG BACK TO LAST R-HAND OVERHEAD BIN. AS I WAS HDG FORWARD TO CHK PAX FOR SAFETY COMPLIANCE, FLT ATTENDANT #8 TOLD ME THAT HE WAS GETTING OXYGEN FOR A PAX. I LOOKED FORWARD AND SAW FLT ATTENDANTS #7 AND #3 ATTENDING A PAX. I MOVED TO ASSIST -- OXYGEN WAS ADMINISTERED TO PAX WITH SEEMINGLY NO RESULTS. I CALLED COCKPIT TO INFORM OF SIT AND REQUEST PARAMEDICS UPON ARR. A PAX PHYSICIAN WHO WAS SEATED A COUPLE OF ROWS FORWARD CAME TO ASSIST. I CALLED FOR ATTENDANT #1 TO INFORM OF SIT AND REQUEST MEDICAL EQUIP. A NURSE AND THE PHYSICIAN PLACED PAX ON FLOOR AND CHKED FOR VITALS. ANOTHER PHYSICIAN CAME TO ASSIST. 2 PHYSICIANS BEGAN CPR AND THROUGH DURATION OF LNDG UNTIL REPLACED BY PARAMEDICS. AT BEGINNING OF CPR BY ONBOARD PHYSICIANS, DEFIBRILLATOR WAS ATTACHED TO PATIENT. A NUMBER OF SHOCKS WERE ADMINISTERED. OTHER TIMES, DEFIBRILLATOR STATED THAT NO SHOCK WAS NECESSARY. UPON ARR AT JFK GATE, 2 POLICE OFFICERS BOARDED ACFT TO SEE HOW THEY COULD ASSIST. EVENTUALLY, PARAMEDICS ARRIVED, ASSESSED SIT, TOOK OVER MEDICAL ASSISTANCE, AND REMOVED PATIENT. HUMAN PERFORMANCE -- AS I PONDER THIS QUESTION: I WAS GRATEFUL TO HAVE 2 PHYSICIANS AND A NURSE WHO WERE SO READILY AVAILABLE AND WILLING TO ASSIST. I KEPT BRINGING MY THOUGHTS BACK TO WHAT ELSE NEEDED TO BE DONE, WHAT OTHER EQUIP WAS AVAILABLE. NOT KNOWING WHAT MEDICINES WE HAD IN MEDICAL KITS AND WHAT THEY WERE USED FOR, MADE THINKING OF THOSE KITS DELAYED. ONCE THESE KITS WERE OPENED AT AREA OF ACFT OF THIS INCIDENT, I DID NOT KNOW WHAT ITEMS WERE ALL IN THIS KIT, OR OF USE FOR THIS SIT. PHYSICIAN HAD TO FUMBLE THROUGH KIT TO FIND HYPODERMIC NEEDLE AND MEDICINE (APPROPRIATE). OUR ACR TEACHES US TO REFER TO DEFIBRILLATOR BY AN ACRONYM. I BELIEVE USING UNIVERSALLY UNDERSTOOD TERM LIKE 'DEFIBRILLATOR' WILL GREATLY BENEFIT COMS WHEN WORKING WITH NON-ACR FLT ATTENDANT PEOPLE (EG, DOCTORS/NURSES). I WOULD LIKE MORE INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO DEAL WITH MYSELF AND OTHERS WITH STAGES OF SHOCK. PARAMEDIC STATED IN FRONT OF CREW AND PAX THAT PATIENT WAS A 'GONNER.' I FOUND THIS IN BAD TASTE AND PROFESSIONALISM. I WAS SURPRISED (TAKEN ABACK) THAT THIS PATIENT DID NOT REVIVE. HE WAS ONLY 31 YRS OLD.

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.