Panic Attack Causes Delay
Mar 28, 2016 | 10:56 am
#16
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: DCA
Programs: Delta Gold
Posts: 158
The most unpleasant flight I've ever endured would have been fine if the captain hadn't made the misguided decision to keep a psychotic person on board. I found an obese elderly woman in my bulkhead seat at LAX. I told her she was in the wrong seat, but knew from her response that she was not in her right mind so sat in her assigned seat a couple of rows back. She was in a blind panic, explaining that she couldn't go to Cleveland because they were going to cut her up into little pieces and put them in a garbage bag.
I alerted an FA, who talked with the lady for a few minutes before informing the captain. He came and talked with her for ten or fifteen minutes. I think his reassuring air of authority helped her reorganize her addled mind sufficiently to convince him she was fit to fly.
We taxied and took off. She yelled, swung her cane wildly till she was relieved of it, soiled herself, and cried throughout most of the flight. A flight attendant and a heroic fellow passenger sat with her for the entire flight. When we arrived at CLE, the purser asked pax to remain seated because of the "special situation." Now the lady, who had repeatedly asked to get off en route, refused to leave. I had urged the FA to arrange for paramedics to meet us, but that didn't happen. There was a tense standoff for a while, when the lady suddenly bolted off the plane faster than anyone could have imagined.
I would not want to be responsible for judging whether any given passenger was fit to fly.
I alerted an FA, who talked with the lady for a few minutes before informing the captain. He came and talked with her for ten or fifteen minutes. I think his reassuring air of authority helped her reorganize her addled mind sufficiently to convince him she was fit to fly.
We taxied and took off. She yelled, swung her cane wildly till she was relieved of it, soiled herself, and cried throughout most of the flight. A flight attendant and a heroic fellow passenger sat with her for the entire flight. When we arrived at CLE, the purser asked pax to remain seated because of the "special situation." Now the lady, who had repeatedly asked to get off en route, refused to leave. I had urged the FA to arrange for paramedics to meet us, but that didn't happen. There was a tense standoff for a while, when the lady suddenly bolted off the plane faster than anyone could have imagined.
I would not want to be responsible for judging whether any given passenger was fit to fly.
Mar 28, 2016 | 11:04 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
Service during the flight suffered as the cabin crew was short the one FA who was dedicated to calming the lady.
According to another passenger, the failures began while this lady was in line at the gate. She was accompanied by two younger men, apparently relatives, who seemed very eager to get her onto the plane. She was ranting while in the line, too. Dealing with psychotic people is something most folks never have to deal with, so I wasn't surprised that the gate agent went ahead and boarded her.
Mar 28, 2016 | 11:50 am
#18
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: ONT/FRA
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Posts: 878
I've seen a bunch of "I need to get off this plane RIGHT NOW!" scenarios over the the many years I've flown commercial. They ranged from genuine medical emergencies to self-induced medical issues, from panic attacks to full-blown psychotic episodes.
In every single instance, I'd rather the person get off the plane before we leave the gate, or before we leave the ground, no matter how much of an inconvenience it might seem to be at the time. Dealing with a sick/frightened/loony person at altitude is much less fun than getting delayed or stuck somewhere, and being diverted is often much worse than never taking off.
Mar 28, 2016 | 4:23 pm
#19
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: LAX, PHL, SAF
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Posts: 301
If you have never had a panic attack you wouldn't understand. And no one saying it will be fine helps.
It just happens
I have flown many many miles in the past. My first panick attack happened as we pushed off the gate. They allowed me to get off the plane and were quite understanding. I was very embarrassed as I see these gate agents almost every other week. They said it happens more often than you would think.
I now take medication to fly - but if this is their first episode there is nothing you can do.
It just happens
I have flown many many miles in the past. My first panick attack happened as we pushed off the gate. They allowed me to get off the plane and were quite understanding. I was very embarrassed as I see these gate agents almost every other week. They said it happens more often than you would think.
I now take medication to fly - but if this is their first episode there is nothing you can do.
Mar 29, 2016 | 4:17 am
#20
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Amsterdam
Programs: A3, BA, OZ,
Posts: 1,169
I have severe anxiety and totally agree with this! My first panic attack turned me into a person that I wouldn't recognise. And while I do always take my medication, it is important to be aware that travelling can make this difficult, because I normally take my medicine in the morning after I wake up and with dinner in the evening, but when getting to different time zones, the timing has to be done appropriately so that I don't miss a dose, but also can still take the medication at convenient times. While I absolutely understand the frustration of such a situation, it isn't appropriate to direct that frustration towards the individual.
Mar 29, 2016 | 4:26 am
#21
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Mar 29, 2016 | 4:32 am
#22
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Do you want to take the chance at 30,000 feet of this person really getting agitated and doing something that might harm someone?
Mar 29, 2016 | 4:48 am
#23
Join Date: May 2014
Location: CMH, HNL
Programs: UA, HA
Posts: 583
Now I'm curious if panic attacks remain the most common in-flight medical (psychiatric?) event that FAs deal with.
It's always unpleasant (infuriating also works) when I'm inconvenienced by someone else's issue, but better an annoyance at ground level than danger at flight level!
It's always unpleasant (infuriating also works) when I'm inconvenienced by someone else's issue, but better an annoyance at ground level than danger at flight level!
Mar 29, 2016 | 6:07 am
#24
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I'm not a Doctor but would think there is a difference between a heart attack where there is the imminent risk of great bodily harm and a panic attack. That said, I didn't state an opinion, was curious to gather folks thoughts on whether the return to gate was reasonable. Given the stories here about when flights carried on, it certainly seems like it was the right call to return to gate here.
Mar 29, 2016 | 6:22 am
#25
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
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So was on BA185 over the weekend and almost immediately as we pushed off the gate at Heathrow a passenger and companion come back down the aisle toward the rear galley, something seems clearly wrong. Turns out the one passenger was having a panic attack and was afraid to fly. Crew lets the passengers sit in the last row crew rest seats and starts talking to the passengers. Panic attack passenger seems to start doing better but keeps repeating that she just wants to go home. The FA says "ok that's no problem, I'll just ring the Captain and we'll return to the gate." (It seemed, at least to me, that the crew made no real effort to convince her that it was safe to fly, rather saying "oh yeah the turbulence can be really bad TATL", etc.)
So we're fully pushed off the gate, engines starting up ready to go and the FA calls up front for us to return to stand. Takes 20 minutes to get back on the stand, and another 60 minutes to pull bags, add more fuel, push again, etc. Total 80 minute delay on departure for this. I think the crew just didn't want to be bothered with the prospect of a panicked passenger on an 8 hour flight.
Anyone have anything like this happen before? Reasonable that BA returned to the gate for this inconveniencing 200+ people (many of whom had connections)? Does BA just eat the cost of the delay (additional fuel, etc?) Would be curious to hear thoughts. Never had anything like this happen before and was very surprised how willing the crew was to return to the gate without even trying to calm the passenger down first. Would we have diverted if this happened over Ireland say? Where is the line drawn? Would be curious to hear thoughts on this. Not sure how I felt about it. Part of me felt really badly for the passenger and the other part of me was really annoyed about the delay (especially since I was crammed into the last row of Y for an extra 80 minutes!)
So we're fully pushed off the gate, engines starting up ready to go and the FA calls up front for us to return to stand. Takes 20 minutes to get back on the stand, and another 60 minutes to pull bags, add more fuel, push again, etc. Total 80 minute delay on departure for this. I think the crew just didn't want to be bothered with the prospect of a panicked passenger on an 8 hour flight.
Anyone have anything like this happen before? Reasonable that BA returned to the gate for this inconveniencing 200+ people (many of whom had connections)? Does BA just eat the cost of the delay (additional fuel, etc?) Would be curious to hear thoughts. Never had anything like this happen before and was very surprised how willing the crew was to return to the gate without even trying to calm the passenger down first. Would we have diverted if this happened over Ireland say? Where is the line drawn? Would be curious to hear thoughts on this. Not sure how I felt about it. Part of me felt really badly for the passenger and the other part of me was really annoyed about the delay (especially since I was crammed into the last row of Y for an extra 80 minutes!)
I'll sat this, though - one of your criticisms is that the flight crew made no attempt to reassure the woman that it was safe to fly. Well, that's okay by me, because no amount of reasoning in the world is going to have any measurable effect on a person who is experiencing a genuine phobia. Phobias are, by definition, unreasonable fears, and cannot be combated by simple reasoning; they require lengthy professional counseling and sometimes medication to overcome.
The delay sucks, and it's reasonable to be annoyed by it, but better to endure an 80 minute delay than a TATL with a screaming, crying, panicking passenger ruining everyone's flight.
It infuriates me that someone's irrational inability to hold themselves together will cause problems for hundreds of strangers...maybe thousands down the line due to cascading delays and rebooks..And I have seen it myself more than once.
However, I understand that it can be a lesser evil than having an person out of control aboard, once airborne. Frightening stories abound regarding people who have tried to open emergency exits in flight, or tried to bust down the cockpit doors.
If you are prone to such attacks, either medicate yourself appropriately, or don't fly. It's not all about you. Aviation is a vastly complex system and your causing a delay can ruin logistics for the airline and cause all manner of problems for other passengers.
However, I understand that it can be a lesser evil than having an person out of control aboard, once airborne. Frightening stories abound regarding people who have tried to open emergency exits in flight, or tried to bust down the cockpit doors.
If you are prone to such attacks, either medicate yourself appropriately, or don't fly. It's not all about you. Aviation is a vastly complex system and your causing a delay can ruin logistics for the airline and cause all manner of problems for other passengers.
Mar 29, 2016 | 6:28 am
#26
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
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As the miserable journey unfolded though, she proved to be harmless. I'm sure some pax were concerned when she started beating the window with her cane, so I relieved her of it. She could not have caused significant damage with it though and she never threatened any other people on board.
Mar 29, 2016 | 7:52 am
#27
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: DCA
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Mar 29, 2016 | 7:55 am
#28
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Mar 29, 2016 | 8:26 am
#29
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I watched BA cabin crew handle a pax panic attack incredibly well a few years ago. Calmed the woman down and had her calm and smiling by the time we landed.
In the OP's case, the crew had 3-4 minutes to decide whether the pax would likely calm down. Better to return to the gate than be forced to land mid-flight.
In the OP's case, the crew had 3-4 minutes to decide whether the pax would likely calm down. Better to return to the gate than be forced to land mid-flight.
Last edited by Doc Savage; Mar 29, 2016 at 12:39 pm Reason: Damn you, autocorrect!
Mar 29, 2016 | 9:08 am
#30
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Probably best to remove the person from the flight and not issue any refund at all.
It also seems to me that, if you think you might have a panic attack on a flight like this, you should go to your doctor beforehand and get a prescription for Xanax or Klonopin.
It also seems to me that, if you think you might have a panic attack on a flight like this, you should go to your doctor beforehand and get a prescription for Xanax or Klonopin.