FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - AC failed to divert, passenger died "shortly after" (CBC The National story)

Nov 6, 2023 | 6:56 am

#15

TravellingChris

Join Date: Mar 2023

Location: Under the Big Oak Tree

Programs: Air Bukovina Elite, Circassian Air Gold, Carthaginian Airlines Platinum

Posts: 1,034

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stranger

Couple of comments:

1. I would argue that the first outfit to blame is the third party medical advisor.

2. On a DEL-YUL flight, at the time when the emergency started, which locations would have been available for a diversion, how much support available, and how long to get there?

3. The trade off is the risk for one individual vs. the inconvenience for the other passengers. Assessing the risk is subjected to significant uncertainty.

Bottom line: I don't see that it's so easy to reach a conclusion either way. Not enough information. But surely AC can redirect at least some of the blame to the medical advisor.

True. We don't know what advice the third-party company gave the pilots. Citing patient confidentiality, the spokesperson for MedicAire didn't reveal that to CBC. We also don't know what the medical advisor on the other end of the line was told by the flight crew--did they attempt to minimize the situation or suggest that the patient was more stable than he actually was?
As I understand it, the British Isles were the diversion option. Ireland would have likely been the best choice, as both Dublin and Shannon have suitable landing sites and nearby emergency facilities capable of giving the proper level of care. What makes the situation potentially so damning is that the flight crew was informed of the emergency PRIOR to starting to cross the Atlantic. If the aircraft had been halfway (or close to halfway) across the Atlantic, a case could be made that continuing to the nearest Canadian airport was the right decision. The fact that the pilots were aware of the emergency prior to exiting European airspace, and nevertheless chose to pass by multiple diversion airports, is the key issue.
Are you serious? Do you think this is actually a rational calculation? Do you think that any passenger onboard would object to an emergency diversion when another individual's life was potentially hanging in the balance? Most people understand how serious a heart attack can be--and that they are often fatal. What kind of person would complain about arriving to their destination late in such a situation? "Yeah, I'd prefer to get to my destination on time. If it costs someone else his life, so be it."