B767-300 flight attendant involved with 2 doctors attempting to revive a wheelchair passenger during...

Attributes
ACN	577913
Time
Date	200303
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hnl.airport
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sba.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified flight attendant aircraft qualified on : 4
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 32 flight attendant time total : 32 flight attendant time type : 90
ASRS Report	577913
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness cabin event other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 1 cab
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Company Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

A passenger was preboarded in a wheelchair. He walked from the forward entry door to his seat (first row of coach cabin) during boarding. Another flight attendant came up to me and said the passenger needed oxygen. I obtained the solid state unit and proceeded to the passenger. When I got to the passenger, 2 men (I later found out, were doctors) were trying to move the passenger from his seat to the floor. He apparently was non responsive and had no pulse. I obtained the aed and grabbed the go bag. We attached the aed to the passenger, but 'no shock was advised.' the 2 doctors immediately started cpr and rescue breathing. I, along with one of the doctors, and the doctor's wives (an rn and a registered pharmacist) relieved each other with the cpr. The other doctor did all the rescue breathing. We continued this until the paramedics arrived. The doctors asked me for an 'ambu' bag. I told him we didn't have that onboard. Later on, while I was completing my paperwork, I found in my flight attendant's manual, that we did, in fact, have an ambu bag onboard. Since flight attendants are not trained to use this equipment, I guess I forgot that it was onboard. There should be more training on this equipment, and flight attendants should have to locate it during recurrent training. The doctors later told me that the passenger probably died right away before we even tried to revive him, therefore, the ambu bag wouldn't have helped save him.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 FLT ATTENDANT INVOLVED WITH 2 DOCTORS ATTEMPTING TO REVIVE A WHEELCHAIR PAX DURING BOARDING PROCESS. FLT ATTENDANT CONCERNED ABOUT KNOWLEDGE LACK OF 'AMBU BAG' AVAILABILITY AND TRAINING.

Narrative: A PAX WAS PREBOARDED IN A WHEELCHAIR. HE WALKED FROM THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR TO HIS SEAT (FIRST ROW OF COACH CABIN) DURING BOARDING. ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP TO ME AND SAID THE PAX NEEDED OXYGEN. I OBTAINED THE SOLID STATE UNIT AND PROCEEDED TO THE PAX. WHEN I GOT TO THE PAX, 2 MEN (I LATER FOUND OUT, WERE DOCTORS) WERE TRYING TO MOVE THE PAX FROM HIS SEAT TO THE FLOOR. HE APPARENTLY WAS NON RESPONSIVE AND HAD NO PULSE. I OBTAINED THE AED AND GRABBED THE GO BAG. WE ATTACHED THE AED TO THE PAX, BUT 'NO SHOCK WAS ADVISED.' THE 2 DOCTORS IMMEDIATELY STARTED CPR AND RESCUE BREATHING. I, ALONG WITH ONE OF THE DOCTORS, AND THE DOCTOR'S WIVES (AN RN AND A REGISTERED PHARMACIST) RELIEVED EACH OTHER WITH THE CPR. THE OTHER DOCTOR DID ALL THE RESCUE BREATHING. WE CONTINUED THIS UNTIL THE PARAMEDICS ARRIVED. THE DOCTORS ASKED ME FOR AN 'AMBU' BAG. I TOLD HIM WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT ONBOARD. LATER ON, WHILE I WAS COMPLETING MY PAPERWORK, I FOUND IN MY FLT ATTENDANT'S MANUAL, THAT WE DID, IN FACT, HAVE AN AMBU BAG ONBOARD. SINCE FLT ATTENDANTS ARE NOT TRAINED TO USE THIS EQUIP, I GUESS I FORGOT THAT IT WAS ONBOARD. THERE SHOULD BE MORE TRAINING ON THIS EQUIP, AND FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD HAVE TO LOCATE IT DURING RECURRENT TRAINING. THE DOCTORS LATER TOLD ME THAT THE PAX PROBABLY DIED RIGHT AWAY BEFORE WE EVEN TRIED TO REVIVE HIM, THEREFORE, THE AMBU BAG WOULDN'T HAVE HELPED SAVE HIM.

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.

B767-300 flight attendant involved with 2 doctors attempting to revive a wheelchair passenger during boarding process. Flight attendant concerned about knowledge lack of 'ambu bag' availability and training.