UNAUTH ENTRY TO THE COCKPIT INFLT WAS ALLOWED TO A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TO COORD CARE FOR AN ONBOARD MEDICAL PROB.

Date: 2002-11 · Aircraft: A320 · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|flight-deck-cabin-aircraft-event-illness-injury|other-unauthorized-cockpit-entry

Synopsis

UNAUTH ENTRY TO THE COCKPIT INFLT WAS ALLOWED TO A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TO COORD CARE FOR AN ONBOARD MEDICAL PROB.

Narrative

ENRTE FROM LAS TO BOS; HAD PAX WITH POSSIBLE HEART ATTACK. CONTACTED MEDICAL SVC VIA PHONE PATCH FROM COMPANY RADIO. DOCTOR ASKED TO SPEAK DIRECTLY WITH ON-BOARD HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TREATING PATIENT. THIS WAS TO CONVEY TREATMENT OPTIONS. BECAUSE OF CONDITION OF PATIENT AND POSSIBLE NEED TO DIVERT; I ALLOWED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL TO ENTER FLT DECK. IN POST 9/TUE/01 ENVIRONMENT; I QUESTION WHETHER ALLOWING ANYONE OTHER THAN PEOPLE WHOSE IDENT CAN BE VERIFIED INTO THE FLT DECK IS PRUDENT. A MEANS OF AIR-TO-GND COM FROM THE CABIN SHOULD BE AVAILABLE ON OUR PAX FLTS. IN THIS TIME OF STRENGTHENED COCKPIT DOORS; FEDERAL MARSHALS; AND ARMED PLTS; IT SEEMS RIDICULOUS THAT SOMEONE COULD GET INTO THE COCKPIT LEGITIMATELY BY POSING AS A PHYSICIAN OR NURSE. WHILE THE LIFE OF 1 ILL PAX IS OF COURSE IMPORTANT; SO IS THE SAFETY OF THE ENTIRE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THERE ARE NO PHONES AVAILABLE FOR PAX USE IN THE CABIN. THE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL'S CREDENTIALS WERE CHKED AND THE ASSESSMENT WAS MADE THAT ASSESSED TO BE LEGITIMATE.

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