Narrative:

Advised during cruise about a passenger with a medical situation, short of breath and agitated. He became more agitated when flight attendant asked about device he held in lap with a breathing mask attached. He was illogical and refused details about device which turned out to be a nebulizer for asthmatics. Phone patch to dispatch and medical professional decided safe to continue medically. However, dispatch interface with medical indicated nebulizer, dependent on type may not be legal to be on board and used. Passenger was somewhat belligerent, didn't know assigned seat as it was a light holiday load. He said he got it through security and essentially it was now ok. He didn't need to disclose anything. Concern went from medical for passenger as he had now calmed down to his possibly connecting in ord with same device. Assured my dispatcher that flight would be met to ascertain his further flight status on company. Reminded en route to have flight met. Called on ground to have plane met, and no one met flight! Follow up to dispatch indicates that the 'zone controller' who he spoke to dropped ball as he was 'carving a turkey.' passenger was not continuing on. Supervisor eventually showed up with no knowledge of events and took over after I had to confront passenger. No support when needed. Customer service was unable to determine his identity and passenger left airport. Customer service met us late. This is unacceptable. Discrepancy between customer service and medical as to whether nebulizer is legal. Very disappointed in support we received. Are we running an airline or a restaurant? Please clarify. Was reluctant to declare a security threat, but during event, it came to light that asthma problems were likely to make an individual violent and irrational. Lack of support for crew is abhorrent. Next time, I'll be inclined to make it a security threat if that's what it takes to ascertain an individual's identify and get some support from customer service, holiday or not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CAPT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A MEDICAL DEVICE THAT WAS BEING CARRIED BY AN UNCOOPERATIVE PAX AND EXPRESSED DISMAY WHEN CUSTOMER SVC FAILED TO RPT TO HIS FLT AFTER LNDG AT ORD.

Narrative: ADVISED DURING CRUISE ABOUT A PAX WITH A MEDICAL SIT, SHORT OF BREATH AND AGITATED. HE BECAME MORE AGITATED WHEN FLT ATTENDANT ASKED ABOUT DEVICE HE HELD IN LAP WITH A BREATHING MASK ATTACHED. HE WAS ILLOGICAL AND REFUSED DETAILS ABOUT DEVICE WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A NEBULIZER FOR ASTHMATICS. PHONE PATCH TO DISPATCH AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL DECIDED SAFE TO CONTINUE MEDICALLY. HOWEVER, DISPATCH INTERFACE WITH MEDICAL INDICATED NEBULIZER, DEPENDENT ON TYPE MAY NOT BE LEGAL TO BE ON BOARD AND USED. PAX WAS SOMEWHAT BELLIGERENT, DIDN'T KNOW ASSIGNED SEAT AS IT WAS A LIGHT HOLIDAY LOAD. HE SAID HE GOT IT THROUGH SECURITY AND ESSENTIALLY IT WAS NOW OK. HE DIDN'T NEED TO DISCLOSE ANYTHING. CONCERN WENT FROM MEDICAL FOR PAX AS HE HAD NOW CALMED DOWN TO HIS POSSIBLY CONNECTING IN ORD WITH SAME DEVICE. ASSURED MY DISPATCHER THAT FLT WOULD BE MET TO ASCERTAIN HIS FURTHER FLT STATUS ON COMPANY. REMINDED ENRTE TO HAVE FLT MET. CALLED ON GND TO HAVE PLANE MET, AND NO ONE MET FLT! FOLLOW UP TO DISPATCH INDICATES THAT THE 'ZONE CTLR' WHO HE SPOKE TO DROPPED BALL AS HE WAS 'CARVING A TURKEY.' PAX WAS NOT CONTINUING ON. SUPVR EVENTUALLY SHOWED UP WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF EVENTS AND TOOK OVER AFTER I HAD TO CONFRONT PAX. NO SUPPORT WHEN NEEDED. CUSTOMER SVC WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE HIS IDENTITY AND PAX LEFT ARPT. CUSTOMER SVC MET US LATE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. DISCREPANCY BTWN CUSTOMER SVC AND MEDICAL AS TO WHETHER NEBULIZER IS LEGAL. VERY DISAPPOINTED IN SUPPORT WE RECEIVED. ARE WE RUNNING AN AIRLINE OR A RESTAURANT? PLEASE CLARIFY. WAS RELUCTANT TO DECLARE A SECURITY THREAT, BUT DURING EVENT, IT CAME TO LIGHT THAT ASTHMA PROBS WERE LIKELY TO MAKE AN INDIVIDUAL VIOLENT AND IRRATIONAL. LACK OF SUPPORT FOR CREW IS ABHORRENT. NEXT TIME, I'LL BE INCLINED TO MAKE IT A SECURITY THREAT IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO ASCERTAIN AN INDIVIDUAL'S IDENT AND GET SOME SUPPORT FROM CUSTOMER SVC, HOLIDAY OR NOT.

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.