Passenger Dies On AA Flight

[FiveO]

Dispute Over Woman's Death on Flight

By RICHARD PYLE,
AP
Posted: 2008-02-25 11:57:35
NEW YORK (Feb. 25) - American Airlines on Monday disputed the account of a man who said his cousin died aboard a flight after she was twice refused oxygen by a flight attendant. He also claimed that medical devices, including two oxygen tanks, failed.


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AP
"Her Last Words Were,
'I Cannot Breathe'"

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Carine Desir, 44, died Friday on an American Airlines flight while returning home to Brooklyn, N.Y., from Haiti. Her cousin said a flight attendant twice refused her requests for oxygen.




Struggling to breathe, passenger Carine Desir, who had heart disease, asked for oxygen, but was initially denied, her cousin said Sunday.

"Don't let me die," the cousin, Antonio Oliver, recalled Desir, 44, saying after the attendant allegedly refused at first to administer the oxygen Friday.

He said the flight attendant finally relented but various medical devices on the plane did not work, including two oxygen tanks that were found to be empty and what may have been a defibrillator that seemed to malfunction.

American Airlines confirmed Desir's death and said medical professionals had tried to save the woman.

On Monday, airline spokesman Charley Wilson said there were 12 oxygen tanks on the plane and the crew checked them before the flight took off to make sure they were working. He said at least two were used on Desir.

"American Airlines, after investigation, has determined that oxygen was administered on the aircraft, and it was working, and the defibrillator was applied as well," he said.

Wilson said he didn't know whether a flight attendant initially refused to administer oxygen to Desir.






Desir, of New York City, died of natural causes, medical examiner's office spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said Sunday.

Desir had complained of not feeling well and being very thirsty on the Friday flight home from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after she ate a meal, according to Oliver, who was traveling with her and her brother, Joel Desir. A flight attendant gave her water, he said.

A few minutes later, Desir said she was having "trouble breathing" and asked for oxygen, but a flight attendant twice refused her request, Oliver said.

He said other passengers aboard Flight 896 became agitated over the situation, and the flight attendant, apparently after phone consultation with the cockpit, tried to administer oxygen from a portable tank and mask, but the tank was empty.

Oliver said two doctors and two nurses were aboard and tried to administer oxygen from a second tank, which also was empty.

Desir was placed on the floor, and a nurse tried CPR, Oliver said. A "box," possibly a defibrillator, also was applied but didn't function effectively, he said.

Oliver said he then asked for the plane to "land right away so I can get her to a hospital," and the pilot agreed to divert to Miami, 45 minutes away. But during that time Desir collapsed and died, Oliver said.

"Her last words were, 'I cannot breathe,'" he said.

Wilson said three flight attendants helped Desir, but "stepped back" after doctors and nurses on the flight began to help her.

"Our crew acted very admirably. They did what they were trained to do, and the equipment was working," he said.

Desir was pronounced dead by one of the doctors, Joel Shulkin, and the flight continued to John F. Kennedy International Airport, without stopping in Miami. The woman's body was moved to the floor of the first-class section and covered with a blanket, Oliver said.

Shulkin, through his attorney, Justin Nadeau, declined to comment on the incident.

Associated Press Writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.


Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

2008-02-25 07:46:46

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/dispute...25074609990001

[JA Yawd Bwoy]

yea i saw this on the news, its sad

[FlySooner9]

its always something how different two sides of the story always are. Makes you wonder whos right. Either way still a sad story.

[the_dmn8tr]

AA is now commenting:

Airline: Equipment Was Working on Flight When

<H1>Woman Died; Cousin Blames Faulty Equipment

Monday , February 25, 2008

ADVERTISEMENT

NEW YORK —
American Airlines on Monday insisted it tried to help a passenger who died after complaining she couldn't breathe, and disputed the account of a relative who said that she was denied oxygen and that medical devices failed.

The airline said the oxygen tanks and a defibrillator were working and noted that several medical professionals on the flight, including a doctor, tried to save the passenger, Carine Desir, 44, who had heart disease.
"American Airlines, after investigation, has determined that oxygen was administered on the aircraft, and it was working, and the defibrillator was applied as well," airline spokesman Charley Wilson said Monday.
Desir had complained of not feeling well and being very thirsty on the Friday flight home from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after she ate a meal, according to Antonio Oliver, a cousin who was traveling with her and her brother, Joel Desir. A flight attendant gave her water, he said.
A few minutes later, Desir said she was having "trouble breathing" and asked for oxygen, but a flight attendant twice refused her request, Oliver said.
"Don't let me die," he recalled her saying.
He said other passengers aboard Flight 896 became agitated over the situation, and the flight attendant, apparently after phone consultation with the cockpit, tried to administer oxygen from a portable tank and mask, but the tank was empty.
Oliver said two doctors and two nurses were aboard and tried to administer oxygen from a second tank, which also was empty. Desir was placed on the floor, and a nurse tried CPR, Oliver said. A defibrillator, which he called a "box," also was applied but didn't function effectively, he said.
Oliver said he then asked for the plane to "land right away so I can get her to a hospital," and the pilot agreed to divert to Miami, 45 minutes away. But during that time Desir collapsed and died, Oliver said.
"Her last words were, 'I cannot breathe,"' he said.
There were 12 oxygen tanks on the plane and the crew checked them before the flight took off to make sure they were working, Wilson said. He said at least two were used on Desir.
The Federal Aviation Administration requires commercial flights to carry no fewer than two oxygen dispensers. The main goal of the rule is to have oxygen available in the event of a rapid cabin decompression, but it can also be used for other emergencies. It is up to the airlines to maintain the canisters.
Wilson said Desir's cousin flagged down a flight attendant and said the woman had diabetes and needed oxygen.
"The flight attendant responded, 'OK, but we usually don't need to treat diabetes with oxygen, but let me check anyway and get back to you."'
Wilson said the employee spoke with another flight attendant, and both went to Desir within one to three minutes.
"By that time the situation was worsening, and they immediately began administering oxygen," he said.
Wilson said the defibrillator was used but that the machine indicated Desir's heartbeat was too weak to activate the unit.
An automated external defibrillator delivers an electric shock to try to restore a normal heart rhythm if a a particular type of irregular heart beat is detected. The machines cannot help in all cases.
Wilson said three flight attendants helped Desir, but "stepped back" after doctors and nurses on the flight began to help her.
"Our crew acted very admirably. They did what they were trained to do, and the equipment was working," he said.
Desir was pronounced dead by one of the doctors, Joel Shulkin, and the flight continued to John F. Kennedy International Airport, without stopping in Miami. The woman's body was moved to the floor of the first-class section and covered with a blanket, Oliver said.
Desir died of complications from heart disease and diabetes, said Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office.
Shulkin, through his attorney, Justin Nadeau, declined to comment on the incident.
FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette said the agency was closely following the details of the incident.

</H1>

[SkyCougar]

Very sad about the passenger.

Well, I'm not a doc, but the fact that she complained of being extremely thirsty after consuming a meal might be a symptom of a diabetic emergency. Blaming the crew is pointless. They're not medical professionals, but if it's true that a couple of docs were onboard and the oxygen tanks were empty, and the defib paddles were not working, then the airline might have some legal issues to contend with.

Thankfully only once in my 25 years of marriage and traveling, did my ex-husband (he's a doc) have to respond to an emergency medical situation onboard an aircraft. The crew were professional, asked if there was a physician or nurse onboard, my ex went to assist and then asked me to assist him - thankfully it was nothing more than a mild tachycardia and panic episode. The patient was stabilized and comfortable on the floor of the first class cabin until we landed and then transported to the hospital.

[MQAAord]

AA says the O2 bottles were fine, and it was an A300 so for all the bottles to not be working..... the chances of that are astronomical. The number of bottles on an A300 would be a dozen or more. A doctor onboard even said the bottles worked as they're supposed to.

The AEDs onboard aircraft are very simple-to-use devices. The AED reads the person's heart rhythms, and decides for itself whether or not a shock is necessary. It can NOT be manually used, and is only effective when a person's heart needs to be shocked back into a normal rhythm. So for a loved once to watch the unit not issue a shock, it would be easy to see how they could think that the machine was malfunctioning when it was actually working just fine. If the unit does not detect arrhythmia of the heart, it will not issue a shock.

As for the early claims that the F/As refused O2 to the individual, a F/A will not just give O2 to anyone who asks for it. There are specific designated criteria that MUST be met before a F/A will give O2 to a pax. For example, a person who's hyperventilating will claim to "not be able to breathe", however, they're already taking in too much oxygen and giving them an O2 bottle like they're asking for is the exact opposite of what they need. That's why F/As have in their medical procedures a list of specific criteria for the administration of O2. Diabetes is not on that list, and that's why the F/A had to check with the CA before getting the first bottle.

My sympathies go out to the family, and I'm very sorry for their loss. However, blaming the airline for ANYTHING here is pointless. The woman had diabetes and heart disease. Would she have survived if she'd not been on a plane and had been driven to an ER? Who knows, but an airliner is not a flying hospital. If you're in the air and you have a medical emergency, it's a pretty bad situation. I feel very bad for the family, losing a loved one is always hard and I'm sorry the woman died. I do not however, think that there was ANY negligence of any kind on the crew.

[Qgar]

Originally Posted by MQAAord

AA says the O2 bottles were fine, and it was an A300 so for all the bottles to not be working..... the chances of that are astronomical. The number of bottles on an A300 would be a dozen or more. A doctor onboard even said the bottles worked as they're supposed to.

The AEDs onboard aircraft are very simple-to-use devices. The AED reads the person's heart rhythms, and decides for itself whether or not a shock is necessary. It can NOT be manually used, and is only effective when a person's heart needs to be shocked back into a normal rhythm. So for a loved once to watch the unit not issue a shock, it would be easy to see how they could think that the machine was malfunctioning when it was actually working just fine. If the unit does not detect arrhythmia of the heart, it will not issue a shock.

As for the early claims that the F/As refused O2 to the individual, a F/A will not just give O2 to anyone who asks for it. There are specific designated criteria that MUST be met before a F/A will give O2 to a pax. For example, a person who's hyperventilating will claim to "not be able to breathe", however, they're already taking in too much oxygen and giving them an O2 bottle like they're asking for is the exact opposite of what they need. That's why F/As have in their medical procedures a list of specific criteria for the administration of O2. Diabetes is not on that list, and that's why the F/A had to check with the CA before getting the first bottle.

My sympathies go out to the family, and I'm very sorry for their loss. However, blaming the airline for ANYTHING here is pointless. The woman had diabetes and heart disease. Would she have survived if she'd not been on a plane and had been driven to an ER? Who knows, but an airliner is not a flying hospital. If you're in the air and you have a medical emergency, it's a pretty bad situation. I feel very bad for the family, losing a loved one is always hard and I'm sorry the woman died. I do not however, think that there was ANY negligence of any kind on the crew.

Amber, thanks for posting that response. I thought the same thing. I highly doubt an airline like American would be so negligent that EVERY oxygen bottle is non-functioning. Checking them to be sure they are full is one of the first things to pre-flight and to say that someone missed EVERY one of them being inoperative is basically out of the realm of possibility. Maintenance people also check them so that scenario is highly unlikely. It's a very sad situation indeed and my heart goes out to the family.

[MQAAord]

Originally Posted by WildCougar

Checking them to be sure they are full

It's funny you mention that, I found myself defending the AA F/As on Eaglelounge yesterday. At Eagle, it is preflight procedure to check the gauges of the O2 bottles. So a few of them were lambasting the F/As having empty O2 bottles. When I went through AA school, I seem to remember just checking to make sure the bottles were there, at AA it wasn't in the procedures to actually check the gauge indications. That was a mtx function. It was worded that F/As will "verify the presence" of emergency equipment. I checked my old manual, and I was right. I will qualify that though, that my old manual has a last revision date of JUL01, so that is dated info.

It is nice to see the company and even one of the docs onboard coming out to defend the airline & the crew.

[ILSstud]

Unfortunately, it sounds like the crew did everything they could to help the passenger. My mother has diabetes and I know for a fact that placing someone having extreme hypo or hyperglycemia on oxygen really wouldn't do anything. It is pointless to blame the crew as it sounds like they did all they could and what they were trained to do. I hope she rests in peace.

[SkyCougar]

So it was determined that she had uncontrolled diabetes and that the O2 tanks and other equipment were in working order? Sorry Amber, I haven't read any of the news reports other than what was posted here, which obviously was one of the first reports. Well, then it sounds like someone is distraught and perhaps looking for someone to blame.

[MQAAord]

Here's a slightly newer article with some updated info: http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedconten...h.2fcaba4.html

[MarkE]

Originally Posted by ILSstud

Unfortunately, it sounds like the crew did everything they could to help the passenger. My mother has diabetes and I know for a fact that placing someone having extreme hypo or hyperglycemia on oxygen really wouldn't do anything. It is pointless to blame the crew as it sounds like they did all they could and what they were trained to do. I hope she rests in peace.

Very true but what makes a better headline? "Airline crew attempts to save passengers life" or "Big ol meany flight attendant, who may eat puppies, refuses to help dying woman while greedy corporation profits from non functioning life saving equipment."

[mtsu_av8er]

Originally Posted by MarkE

Very true but what makes a better headline? "Airline crew attempts to save passengers life" or "Big ol meany flight attendant, who may eat puppies, refuses to help dying woman while greedy corporation profits from non functioning life saving equipment."

Mmmmm - pu- . . .

I mean, ewww.

[ian]

as an EMT, regarding the AED...it only will shock if your rythm is Vtach or Vfib...she didn't have either of those rythyms so it didn't shock her....you can't call that faulty equiptment.
Just my .02

[I_WANNA_BE_ATP]

Even in the ED, we have people blaming faulty equipment when there is a unfavorable outcome.
I feel sorry for the family for their loss.