WDB LANDS AT YYQ BECAUSE OF A SICK PAX AND IS STRANDED BECAUSE OF MINIMAL SVC AVAILABLE.

Date: 1994-02 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

WDB LANDS AT YYQ BECAUSE OF A SICK PAX AND IS STRANDED BECAUSE OF MINIMAL SVC AVAILABLE.

Narrative

WDB FLT FRA-LAX WAS OVER CANADA WHEN INFORMED BY FLT ATTENDANT THAT A PAX WAS ILL; HAD BEEN UNCONSCIOUS BUT WAS NOW CONSCIOUS. PAX WAS LYING ON THE FLOOR; COVERED WITH BLANKETS AND BREATHING FROM PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLE. A MEDIC WAS IN ATTENDANCE. WHILE TALKING TO PAX AND HIS TRAVELING COMPANION TO GET MEDICAL HISTORY AND PERTINENT INFO; A REGISTERED NURSE PRESENTED HERSELF. SHE CHKED PAX CONDITION AND PULSE. SHE SAID IT WAS SLIGHTLY LOW BUT NOT ALARMINGLY SO. PAX AND NURSE WERE MOVED TO BUSINESS CLASS AND CAPT RETURNED TO COCKPIT TO ADVISE CTL AND OTHER CREW MEMBERS OF SIT. FLT CTL COULD NOT BE CONTACTED ON ANY HF FREQ. THE FIRST AID KIT WAS OPENED AND STETHOSCOPE AND BLOOD PRESSURE APPARATUS GIVEN TO THE REGISTERED NURSE FOR HER USE. THE CLOSEST ARPT WAS CHURCHILL (YYQ) WITH 9200 FT PLOWED; DRY AND FULL ILS TO RWY 33. CAPT RETURNED TO CABIN WHERE THE REGISTERED NURSE SAID PAX PULSE WAS WEAK AND SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT HIS CONDITION WAS NOT IMPROVING. CAPT TOLD HER HIS FIRST CHOICE OF ARPTS WAS EDMONTON WHICH WAS OVER 1.5 HRS AWAY BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER ARPT; CHURCHILL; WHERE WE COULD OBTAIN MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND IT WAS ONLY 25 MINS AWAY. SHE INDICATED THE CLOSEST ARPT WOULD BE MORE ACCEPTABLE FOR THE WELL BEING OF THE SICK PAX. DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND AT YYQ (CHURCHILL). DSCNT PAUSED AT 10000 FT SO PAX COULD BE PLACED IN A SEAT AND BELTED IN FOR LNDG. FUEL WAS DUMPED AND LNDG WAS MADE AND ACFT STOPPED JUST SHORT OF TXWY LEADING TO RAMP. TEMP WAS MINUS 31 DEGS F; LIGHT WIND AND VISIBILITY CAVOK. AFTER LNDG; CAPT WAS INFORMED NO PAX STEPS WERE AVAILABLE. A FIRE TRUCK APCHED A CABIN DOOR AND A LADDER PLACED ON TRUCK TO ACFT. SICK PAX WAS ABLE TO CLB DOWN LADDER BY HIMSELF. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE FUEL TRUCK ARRIVED; BUT PAX WOULD HAVE TO BE DEPLANED BEFORE ACFT COULD BE FUELED. DEPLANING PAX FOR REFUELING WAS UNACCEPTABLE TO CAPT. PAX AND CREW DID NOT HAVE PROPER CLOTHING TO WITHSTAND THE EXTREME TEMP WHICH WAS STILL DROPPING. HE FEARED THAT; WHILE CLBING DOWN THE LADDERS; PAX COULD SUFFER FROM FROSTBITE; FALLS AND POSSIBLE HEART ATTACK. CAPT REQUESTED YYQ FLT SVC TO CONTACT THE ACR BY PHONE FOR WT AND BAL INFO. GETTING THE INFO TOOK ALMOST 4 HRS AND MORE TIME WAS SPENT OBTAINING THE CTR OF GRAVITY FROM THEM. ACFT WAS TOO HVY FOR TXWY AND HAD TO REMAIN ON THE RWY THE ENTIRE TIME. APU PROBS MADE IT NECESSARY TO KEEP #2 AND #3 ENGS RUNNING. APU FINALLY STARTED AND #3 ENG SHUT DOWN. #2 KEPT RUNNING FOR HEAT. ENGS WERE STARTED TO MOVE ACFT SO AN ACFT COULD TKOF. #1 AND #3 WERE THEN SHUT DOWN AGAIN. THE INTENT WAS TO FLY TO EDMONTON; REFUEL AND CONTINUE TO LAX. UPON ARR AT EDMONTON; WHILE ARRANGING SVC; CAPT WAS TOLD THE FLT TO LAX HAD BEEN CANCELED AND PAX WERE TO BE TAKEN TO A HOTEL. TRIP DEPARTED FOR LAX THE FOLLOWING MORNING. AFTER DEP; CREW FOUND THAT THE FIRST AID KIT HAD BEEN REPLACED BUT THE PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLE HAD NOT. THIS WAS ENTERED IN THE LOGBOOK.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.