B757 flight crew declared a medical emergency for priority handling during top of descent for landin...

Attributes
ACN	521637
Time
Date	200108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg.airport
State Reference	OH
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc tracon : cvg.tracon tracon : m98.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12300 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	521637
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger misconduct cabin event : passenger illness
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : declared emergency
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

Just prior to top-of-descent the onboard leader, head flight attendant, reported a stressed, disruptive, abusive passenger who had complained bitterly and repeatedly about conditions during the flight. Because of a crying child, he had requested a seat change. The flight was full, so a seat change was not possible. His complaints were not limited to the crying child. He also claimed to have been mistreated and ignored by the flight attendants. Initially the onboard leader requested a passenger service agent meet the flight. As the situation progressed the passenger began complaining of shortness of breath and an increased heart rate. The onboard leader gave him oxygen and reported the situation to me. She felt his symptoms were self-induced, but she could not discount the possibility that he had real developing medical problems. I declared a 'medical emergency' and requested an expedited arrival to cvg. I also requested paramedics to meet the flight. We landed shortly afterwards. Paramedics removed this passenger to an ambulance. I don't know the results of their examination of the passenger. This passenger is now threatening a lawsuit and a report to the FAA concerning his treatment. Among his complaints, he says no one sought the help of medical personnel who may have been onboard. This is true. Since he was initially presented to me as disruptive I didn't think to ask the onboard leader to page for a doctor. Next time I'll page for a doctor and have police and paramedics meet the flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLC DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER FOR PRIORITY HANDLING DURING TOP OF DSCNT FOR LNDG DUE TO A DISRUPTIVE, UNHAPPY, COMPLAINING AND SUBSEQUENTLY ILL ACTING PAX.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO TOP-OF-DSCNT THE ONBOARD LEADER, HEAD FLT ATTENDANT, RPTED A STRESSED, DISRUPTIVE, ABUSIVE PAX WHO HAD COMPLAINED BITTERLY AND REPEATEDLY ABOUT CONDITIONS DURING THE FLT. BECAUSE OF A CRYING CHILD, HE HAD REQUESTED A SEAT CHANGE. THE FLT WAS FULL, SO A SEAT CHANGE WAS NOT POSSIBLE. HIS COMPLAINTS WERE NOT LIMITED TO THE CRYING CHILD. HE ALSO CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN MISTREATED AND IGNORED BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS. INITIALLY THE ONBOARD LEADER REQUESTED A PAX SVC AGENT MEET THE FLT. AS THE SIT PROGRESSED THE PAX BEGAN COMPLAINING OF SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND AN INCREASED HEART RATE. THE ONBOARD LEADER GAVE HIM OXYGEN AND RPTED THE SIT TO ME. SHE FELT HIS SYMPTOMS WERE SELF-INDUCED, BUT SHE COULD NOT DISCOUNT THE POSSIBILITY THAT HE HAD REAL DEVELOPING MEDICAL PROBS. I DECLARED A 'MEDICAL EMER' AND REQUESTED AN EXPEDITED ARR TO CVG. I ALSO REQUESTED PARAMEDICS TO MEET THE FLT. WE LANDED SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. PARAMEDICS REMOVED THIS PAX TO AN AMBULANCE. I DON'T KNOW THE RESULTS OF THEIR EXAMINATION OF THE PAX. THIS PAX IS NOW THREATENING A LAWSUIT AND A RPT TO THE FAA CONCERNING HIS TREATMENT. AMONG HIS COMPLAINTS, HE SAYS NO ONE SOUGHT THE HELP OF MEDICAL PERSONNEL WHO MAY HAVE BEEN ONBOARD. THIS IS TRUE. SINCE HE WAS INITIALLY PRESENTED TO ME AS DISRUPTIVE I DIDN'T THINK TO ASK THE ONBOARD LEADER TO PAGE FOR A DOCTOR. NEXT TIME I'LL PAGE FOR A DOCTOR AND HAVE POLICE AND PARAMEDICS MEET THE FLT.

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.

B757 flight crew declared a medical emergency for priority handling during top of descent for landing due to a disruptive, unhappy, complaining and subsequently ill acting passenger.