Narrative:

I was flying position #1 and, therefore, in the first class cabin (galley area) setting up for the meal service. I, therefore, did not observe most of what took place in the very last row of main cabin. I paged for a physician after I was informed by the #4 flight attendant that a passenger seated in the very last row of main cabin was unconscious and they were administering oxygen. A physician answered the page. The ill passenger seemed to be in her late 70's and female. She was traveling with other family members. They spoke no english. One of the family members later told the #2 and #4 flight attendants the ill passenger was on oxygen at home and that she also had pneumonia. During an in-flight medical emergency, it gets very frantic for an MD80 cabin crew of only 3 flight attendants and a 90% full airplane to handle the situation efficiently. For safety reasons, we need to get the 4TH flight attendant back on the MD80 airplane and revise minimum crew to be 4 flight attendants. In my opinion, an in-flight medical emergency with minimum crew would be the best distraction for terrorists to plan their strategy with commercial jets. On this particular flight from stl-sfo, I had a full course dinner service in first class with follow on dessert service. I also had a full first class cabin of 14 passenger. In the main cabin, passenger got a meal and the flight attendants had just completed their first beverage service. In other words, there was 'stuff' everywhere. From the time of the first call from the flight attendants in the back informing me of the medical emergency, to the time it took to page for a physician, call the captain, walk to main cabin to speak to the doctor who answered the page, get the medical kit, the aed, and observe the situation with the ill passenger so I could continue to keep the captain informed, a good 15 mins had passed by. During this time, I had to leave the first class cabin and the vicinity of the cockpit door area unattended. After about 30 mins had elapsed from the time of the first call, the treating physician recommended that we land since the passenger's blood pressure could not be stabilized. The captain at this point told me we had about 10-15 mins before we would land in denver. The #2 and #4 flight attendants scrambled to pick up the main cabin as much as possible. I still had my first class galley the same way I described it earlier before I got the call from the other 2 flight attendants informing me about the ill passenger. (Stuff everywhere.) I don't think we had time to check that all passenger had their seat backs upright, tray tables stowed, and carry-on luggage properly stowed for landing. Our nerves all frazzled, our bodies sweating from working frantically to get things put away for landing in 7 mins or less, we landed in denver. Upon landing in denver, flight attendants could not even step onto the jetbridge along with the treating physician to speak with the paramedics and the passenger service agent, since we had a full airplane and minimum crew. For safety reasons, on a full airplane with minimum cabin crew, this scenario might be observed by terrorists who might see an opportunity to plan their next terrorist attack. All 3 flight attendants are extremely busy with their own duties, the area by the cockpit door is left unattended or unobserved for a good 5-10 mins, and the passenger are not being observed by the flight attendants busy with the dynamics created from the medical emergency. This could have been a lot less stressful for the flight attendants if we had the 4TH flight attendant on board.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE OBSERVED THAT 3 FLT ATTENDANTS ARE NOT ENOUGH ON A FULL FLT WHEN A MEDICAL EMER OCCURS. NOT ONLY ARE THE REMAINING PAX NOT TAKEN CARE OF WELL, THE OPPORTUNITY IS AVAILABLE FOR THE COCKPIT DOOR TO BE COMPROMISED FROM THE CABIN.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING POS #1 AND, THEREFORE, IN THE FIRST CLASS CABIN (GALLEY AREA) SETTING UP FOR THE MEAL SVC. I, THEREFORE, DID NOT OBSERVE MOST OF WHAT TOOK PLACE IN THE VERY LAST ROW OF MAIN CABIN. I PAGED FOR A PHYSICIAN AFTER I WAS INFORMED BY THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT THAT A PAX SEATED IN THE VERY LAST ROW OF MAIN CABIN WAS UNCONSCIOUS AND THEY WERE ADMINISTERING OXYGEN. A PHYSICIAN ANSWERED THE PAGE. THE ILL PAX SEEMED TO BE IN HER LATE 70'S AND FEMALE. SHE WAS TRAVELING WITH OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. THEY SPOKE NO ENGLISH. ONE OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS LATER TOLD THE #2 AND #4 FLT ATTENDANTS THE ILL PAX WAS ON OXYGEN AT HOME AND THAT SHE ALSO HAD PNEUMONIA. DURING AN INFLT MEDICAL EMER, IT GETS VERY FRANTIC FOR AN MD80 CABIN CREW OF ONLY 3 FLT ATTENDANTS AND A 90% FULL AIRPLANE TO HANDLE THE SIT EFFICIENTLY. FOR SAFETY REASONS, WE NEED TO GET THE 4TH FLT ATTENDANT BACK ON THE MD80 AIRPLANE AND REVISE MINIMUM CREW TO BE 4 FLT ATTENDANTS. IN MY OPINION, AN INFLT MEDICAL EMER WITH MINIMUM CREW WOULD BE THE BEST DISTR FOR TERRORISTS TO PLAN THEIR STRATEGY WITH COMMERCIAL JETS. ON THIS PARTICULAR FLT FROM STL-SFO, I HAD A FULL COURSE DINNER SVC IN FIRST CLASS WITH FOLLOW ON DESSERT SVC. I ALSO HAD A FULL FIRST CLASS CABIN OF 14 PAX. IN THE MAIN CABIN, PAX GOT A MEAL AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD JUST COMPLETED THEIR FIRST BEVERAGE SVC. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE WAS 'STUFF' EVERYWHERE. FROM THE TIME OF THE FIRST CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE BACK INFORMING ME OF THE MEDICAL EMER, TO THE TIME IT TOOK TO PAGE FOR A PHYSICIAN, CALL THE CAPT, WALK TO MAIN CABIN TO SPEAK TO THE DOCTOR WHO ANSWERED THE PAGE, GET THE MEDICAL KIT, THE AED, AND OBSERVE THE SIT WITH THE ILL PAX SO I COULD CONTINUE TO KEEP THE CAPT INFORMED, A GOOD 15 MINS HAD PASSED BY. DURING THIS TIME, I HAD TO LEAVE THE FIRST CLASS CABIN AND THE VICINITY OF THE COCKPIT DOOR AREA UNATTENDED. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINS HAD ELAPSED FROM THE TIME OF THE FIRST CALL, THE TREATING PHYSICIAN RECOMMENDED THAT WE LAND SINCE THE PAX'S BLOOD PRESSURE COULD NOT BE STABILIZED. THE CAPT AT THIS POINT TOLD ME WE HAD ABOUT 10-15 MINS BEFORE WE WOULD LAND IN DENVER. THE #2 AND #4 FLT ATTENDANTS SCRAMBLED TO PICK UP THE MAIN CABIN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I STILL HAD MY FIRST CLASS GALLEY THE SAME WAY I DESCRIBED IT EARLIER BEFORE I GOT THE CALL FROM THE OTHER 2 FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMING ME ABOUT THE ILL PAX. (STUFF EVERYWHERE.) I DON'T THINK WE HAD TIME TO CHK THAT ALL PAX HAD THEIR SEAT BACKS UPRIGHT, TRAY TABLES STOWED, AND CARRY-ON LUGGAGE PROPERLY STOWED FOR LNDG. OUR NERVES ALL FRAZZLED, OUR BODIES SWEATING FROM WORKING FRANTICALLY TO GET THINGS PUT AWAY FOR LNDG IN 7 MINS OR LESS, WE LANDED IN DENVER. UPON LNDG IN DENVER, FLT ATTENDANTS COULD NOT EVEN STEP ONTO THE JETBRIDGE ALONG WITH THE TREATING PHYSICIAN TO SPEAK WITH THE PARAMEDICS AND THE PAX SVC AGENT, SINCE WE HAD A FULL AIRPLANE AND MINIMUM CREW. FOR SAFETY REASONS, ON A FULL AIRPLANE WITH MINIMUM CABIN CREW, THIS SCENARIO MIGHT BE OBSERVED BY TERRORISTS WHO MIGHT SEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAN THEIR NEXT TERRORIST ATTACK. ALL 3 FLT ATTENDANTS ARE EXTREMELY BUSY WITH THEIR OWN DUTIES, THE AREA BY THE COCKPIT DOOR IS LEFT UNATTENDED OR UNOBSERVED FOR A GOOD 5-10 MINS, AND THE PAX ARE NOT BEING OBSERVED BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS BUSY WITH THE DYNAMICS CREATED FROM THE MEDICAL EMER. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT LESS STRESSFUL FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS IF WE HAD THE 4TH FLT ATTENDANT ON BOARD.

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.