COMMUTER BA31 HAS A PAX WHO IS BOARDED AS AN UNACCOMPANIED MINOR. SHE IS ACTUALLY A 32 YR OLD WITH DOWN'S SYNDROME WITH AN ESTIMATED MENTAL AGE OF ABOUT 3. SHE IS TERRIFIED BY LIGHTNING PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ACFT AND BECOMES EXTREMELY DISTURBED WHEN TURB IS ENCOUNTERED. WITH NO FLT ATTENDANT ON BOARD; CAPT ATTEMPTS TO CALM HER AND FO CLBS PAST ASSIGNED ALT DURING THE DISTR.

Narrative

WE HAD AN 'UNACCOMPANIED MINOR' ON BOARD WHO WAS NOT ACTUALLY A MINOR. OUR UNACCOMPANIED MINOR WAS A 32 YR OLD WOMAN WITH DOWN'S SYNDROME. I AM NO EXPERT; BUT I WOULD ESTIMATE HER MENTAL AGE TO BE AROUND 3 YRS OLD. AS SHE WAS BROUGHT TO THE ACFT FOR BOARDING AT HPN; SHE SAW LIGHTNING N OF THE FIELD AND BROKE LOOSE OF THE AGENT ESCORTING HER AND RAN TOWARD THE RWY. I CHASED HER AND WAS ABLE TO CALM HER ENOUGH TO GET HER TO BOARD -- WITH MISGIVINGS ON MY PART BECAUSE OUR PLANE HAS NO FLT ATTENDANT. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH CLOUDS TO ASSIGNED ALT OF 12000 FT. THE FO WAS FLYING. LIGHT TURB FRIGHTENED THE UNACCOMPANIED MINOR WHO BEGAN PANICKING AND MAKING QUITE A SCENE IN THE CABIN. PASSING 10000 FT WE BROKE OUT ON TOP AND THE AIR WAS SMOOTH; BUT THE UNACCOMPANIED MINOR CONTINUED TO SCREAM AND CRY. I LEFT THE FLT DECK TO CALM HER AND WIPE HER TEARS. AFTER GETTING HER SETTLED; I RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK AND DONNED MY HEADSET. THE FIRST WORDS I HEARD WERE NEW YORK DEP ASKING; 'SAY YOUR ALT.' THE FO HAD CLBED TO 12600 FT; LARGELY DUE TO THE DISTR OF ME DEALING WITH THE UNACCOMPANIED MINOR DIRECTLY BEHIND HIM. THIS UNACCOMPANIED MINOR NEEDED A FLT ATTENDANT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE FILED AN IRREGULARITY RPT WITH HIS COMPANY AND SPOKE WITH THE CHIEF PLT. THERE WAS CONCERN ON THEIR PART BUT NOT MUCH INDICATION OF ANY ACTION. THE CHIEF PLT INDICATED HE THOUGHT THE RPTR HANDLED THE SIT VERY WELL. RPTR FEELS THIS IS BENDING THE UNACCOMPANIED MINOR REG TO THE EXTREME. THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS CHRONOLOGICALLY TOO OLD TO FALL IN THAT CATEGORY AND MENTALLY TOO YOUNG TO TRAVEL UNDER THE REG. HE FEELS THAT AFTER THE EXPERIENCE ON THE RAMP THE PAX SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO BOARD SINCE SHE WAS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD TO THE OTHER PAX AND THE FLT ITSELF. RPTR WAS ADVISED OF THE HOTLINE NUMBER.