Narrative:

We had a customer in seat xxf who was in possession of a 'sleep apnea' breathing machine. He was using it during flight and I was asked by the business class flight attendants if he could use it. We all know passenger are not allowed to use their own oxygen tanks; however this was not an oxygen tank. The business class flight attendants and myself researched the flight attendant manual which did not indicate if the device was an approved electronic nor if it was a disapproved electronic. As purser I made the decision that since it didn't specifically state he could 'not' use it and since tsa allowed him through security with the machine; we indeed would allow him to continue to use it. I later checked the flight attendant manual again and there is nothing listed if these machines are approved or not. This issue needs to be addressed as the disease of sleep apnea is becoming more popular in today's society. So was the passenger allowed to use his own breathing machine?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLIGHT ATTENDANT QUESTIONED WHETHER A SLEEP APNEA DEVICE WAS LEGAL FOR USE IN FLIGHT.

Narrative: WE HAD A CUSTOMER IN SEAT XXF WHO WAS IN POSSESSION OF A 'SLEEP APNEA' BREATHING MACHINE. HE WAS USING IT DURING FLT AND I WAS ASKED BY THE BUSINESS CLASS FLT ATTENDANTS IF HE COULD USE IT. WE ALL KNOW PAX ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THEIR OWN OXYGEN TANKS; HOWEVER THIS WAS NOT AN OXYGEN TANK. THE BUSINESS CLASS FLT ATTENDANTS AND MYSELF RESEARCHED THE FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL WHICH DID NOT INDICATE IF THE DEVICE WAS AN APPROVED ELECTRONIC NOR IF IT WAS A DISAPPROVED ELECTRONIC. AS PURSER I MADE THE DECISION THAT SINCE IT DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY STATE HE COULD 'NOT' USE IT AND SINCE TSA ALLOWED HIM THROUGH SECURITY WITH THE MACHINE; WE INDEED WOULD ALLOW HIM TO CONTINUE TO USE IT. I LATER CHKED THE FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL AGAIN AND THERE IS NOTHING LISTED IF THESE MACHINES ARE APPROVED OR NOT. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS THE DISEASE OF SLEEP APNEA IS BECOMING MORE POPULAR IN TODAY'S SOCIETY. SO WAS THE PAX ALLOWED TO USE HIS OWN BREATHING MACHINE?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.