A LEAR 45 IN CRUISE AT FL400 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO A PAX MEDICAL EMER. UNCONSCIOUS PAX REQUIRED MEDICAL OXYGEN BUT OPERATOR DOES NOT NORMALLY CARRY ANY TYPE OF SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN BOTTLES.

Narrative

WE HAD JUST PICKED UP 3 PAX FOR A FLT FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1. ONE OF THE PAX WAS AN ELDERLY WOMAN THAT HAD PROBLEMS GETTING INTO THE ACFT. APPROX 5 MINUTES AFTER DEP SHE WORKED HER WAY BACK TO THE AFT LAV TO USE THE RESTROOM. WE HAD JUST LEVELED OFF AT FL400 WHEN I WAS INFORMED BY ONE OF THE PAX; FRANTICALLY STATING THAT THE ELDERLY WOMAN WAS UNCONSCIOUS AND UNRESPONSIVE; AND MAY HAVE HAD A STROKE IN THE AFT LAV. SHE ASKED IF WE HAD AN OXYGEN BOTTLE ON BOARD; TO WHICH I SAID NO; BUT WE DID HAVE THE EMER OXYGEN MASKS. I ASKED THE PAX IF SHE WOULD LIKE US TO GO BACK TO ZZZ OR LAND AT THE NEAREST ARPT. SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE WANTED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. I THEN DROPPED THE OXYGEN MASKS AND ASKED THE FO TO TELL CTR THAT WE WERE DECLARING A MEDICAL EMER AND WANTED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. AFTER THE MASKS DROPPED; I TURNED AROUND TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE MASKS HAD DROPPED; ONLY TO SEE THAT 2 OF THE COMPARTMENTS FAILED TO OPEN (ONE OF WHICH WAS IN THE AFT LAV AREA). I THEN INSTRUCTED THE FO TO GET THE PLANE TURNED AROUND AND TRANSFERRED CTL TO HIM WHILE I WENT BACK TO SEE IF I COULD GET THE OXYGEN MASKS DEPLOYED. WHEN I GOT TO THE AFT LAV; I FOUND THE ELDERLY LADY UNCONSCIOUS AND COLD WITH BLUE LIPS AND EYES AND A WEAK PULSE. I THINK I TRIED FORCEFULLY TO PULL THE COVER OFF THE MASK COMPARTMENT; BUT THE COVER DID NOT COME OFF. I KNEW THAT IF WE DIDN'T GET DOWN AND GET THE CABIN ALT DOWN WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS. I THEN WENT BACK TO THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED THE FO OF WHAT WAS GOING ON; BY THAT TIME; CTR HAD GOTTEN US TURNED AROUND (DIRECT TO ZZZ). THE FO XFERRED CTL BACK TO ME AND HE DECIDED TO SEE IF HE COULD GET THE MASKS DOWN. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT HE TOOK A KNIFE OUT OF THE PAX CATERING AND PRIED THE COVER OFF THE COMPARTMENT AND PLACED THE OXYGEN MASK OVER THE PAX. IN THE MEANTIME; I DSNDED THE ACFT AND CTR INFORMED ME THAT THERE WOULD BE EMT ON THE GND WHEN WE ARRIVED. WE GOT THE PLANE ON THE GND IN 10 MINUTES FROM WHEN WE WERE INFORMED ABOUT THE PROBLEM; AND EMT WAS ON THE PLANE WITHIN 12 MINUTES. CTR AND APCH DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF ALLOWING US TO GET THE PLANE DOWN IN AN EXPEDITIOUS MANNER; WHILE KEEPING EVERYONE CLEAR OF US. EMT MONITORED THE ELDERLY LADY FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES WHILE ON THE GND AND FINALLY SHE DECLINED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL; BUT WAS LATER TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL (I WAS INFORMED ABOUT THIS AT A LATER TIME). MAINT LOOKED AT THE REASON WHY THE MASKS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND FOUND OUT THAT ONE OF THE TWO STRINGS THAT HOLD THE COVER TO OVERHEAD LINER COMPARTMENT WAS WRAPPED AROUND ONE OF THE LOCKING PINS PREVENTING THE COVER TO OPEN. THE MASKS WERE RE-DEPLOYED AND ALL THE COMPARTMENTS WORKED NORMALLY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE REAR LAV OXYGEN MASK FAILED TO DEPLOY ALONG WITH ONE OTHER IN ANOTHER CABIN LOCATION; ADDING THE MASK CONTAINER COVER WAS FORCED OPEN AND THE MASK WAS THEN USED ON THE PAX. REPORTEDLY; THE FAILED MASKS REVEALED A CORD THAT WAS USED TO SECURE THE COVER CLOSED INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AND LOOPED AROUND A SUPPORTING FASTENER THAT PREVENTED THE COVER FROM OPENING AND DEPLOYING. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT MAINT CORRECTED THE TWO FAILED MASKS AND TESTED THE ENTIRE SYSTEM SATISFACTORY. THE RPTR STATED THAT LEAR MODELS 40; 45; AND 60 CARRY NO FIRST AID PORTABLE BOTTLES AND THAT THIS IS A NORMAL CONFIGURATION.