AN A320 FLC MAY HAVE LANDED OVERWT DURING A DIVERSION FOR AN ILL PAX AND DID NOT HAVE AN OVERWT LNDG INSPECTION MADE PRIOR TO THEIR DEP FOR DEST ARPT WHILE AT BIS; ND.

Narrative

DURING CRUISE FLT; A PAX BECAME VIOLENTLY ILL; VOMITING AND PASSING IN AND OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS. BOTH A REGISTERED NURSE AND AN EMER MEDICAL CARE DOCTOR WERE ON BOARD AND CAME TO THE ASSISTANCE OF THE INFLT CREW MEMBERS. THE FLT WAS ENRTE FROM JFK TO SEA ARPT. MORE THAN 1 HR WAS SPENT BY THE PLTS ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT COMMERCIAL RADIO UNSUCCESSFULLY DUE TO THE INADEQUATE COVERAGE AFFORDED BY THIS REMOTE AIRSPACE. MORE SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO REACH COMPANY BY ACARS WERE MADE AND IT WAS DETERMINED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ONBOARD DOCTOR AND A DOCTOR EVENTUALLY REACHED ON COMMERCIAL RADIO THAT A DIVERSION WAS NECESSARY TO ATTEND TO THE URGENT NEEDS OF THE PAX. IN CONSULTATION WITH ATC AS TO THE NEAREST DIVERSIONARY ARPT. BISMARCK; ND; WAS SELECTED SOME 250 MI FURTHER W. LNDG CHARTS WERE AVAILABLE TO THE PLT CREW MEMBERS. WX WAS MORE FAVORABLE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A SUITABLE PARKING LOCATION WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE FORM OF A JETBRIDGE AT ANOTHER ACR GATE AT BISMARCK. THE DSCNT; APCH AND LNDG AT THE DIVERSIONARY DEST WERE SUCCESSFUL AND THE PAX WAS DEPLANED BY EMS PERSONNEL. THE PAX'S WIFE ACCOMPANIES THE PAX TO THE LCL MEDICAL FACILITY. WITH THE HELP OF THE LCL ACR PERSONNEL AND A LCL FBO FACILITY; AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH ACR X MAINT TECHNICIAN; THE 2 PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLES WERE REPLENISHED AND AN INVENTORY OF THE EMER MEDICAL KIT WAS TAKEN NOTING THAT THE REQUIRED ITEMS WERE STILL FULLY ACCOUNTED FOR AND AVAILABLE FOR USE. AFTER SOME FURTHER ACFT FUEL SVCING; IT WAS DETERMINED IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DISPATCHER THAT THE AIRPLANE COULD BE RERELEASED AND CONTINUE ON TO THE FINAL DEST OF SEATTLE. IT OCCURRED TO THE PLTS ONLY WHILE ENRTE TO SEA FROM BIS THAT FLT MAY HAVE LANDED SLIGHTLY OVERWT BY AT THE MOST 50 LBS ABOVE MAX LNDG WT OF 142198 LBS IN BIS. DUE TO THE URGENCY AND BUSY NATURE OF THE EMER; THE PLTS HAD OMITTED TO CHK THE WT OF THE ACFT PRIOR TO LNDG IN BIS. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PAX ON BOARD HAD BEEN 122 PLUS 6 CREW MEMBERS. THE FLT HAD DEPARTED JFK WITH FULL FUEL 41600 LBS OF FUEL AT TKOF AND LANDED WITH 20520 LBS IN BIS. DEPENDING ON THE BAG COUNT ON BOARD WHICH THE AUTHOR DOES NOT HAVE AVAILABLE; THE WT COULD HAVE BEEN ALSO AS MUCH AS 500 LBS UNDER MAX LNDG WT. CONCLUSION: IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO HAVE A CHKLIST ITEM SOMEWHERE IN THE APCH; ARR; OR LNDG CHKLISTS PROMPTING THE PLTS TO CHK THIS WT PRIOR TO LNDG AS A FUTURE SUGGESTION GENERALLY AS AN AIRBUS PROC. DURING A BUSY DIVERSION; IT IS VERY EASY TO MISS OR NEGLECT TO CONSIDER THE ACTUAL LNDG WT OF THE ACFT. THE PROB THAT CONCERNS THE AUTHOR IS THAT WE MAY HAVE MADE A TKOF WITHOUT HAVING HAD THE ACFT INSPECTED AFTER AN OVERWT LNDG. EVEN THOUGH THE OVERWT LNDG CHKLIST WAS NOT VERBALIZED; THE CHKLIST HAD BEEN FULLY COMPLIED WITH LNDG IN BIS.