Medical Emergency Over Columbus
Last leg of the night into Pittsburg, PA in our 737-700. We are cruising at 39,000 in smooth air over Columbus, Ohio when we receive an “urgent” code ring over the crew intercom system. I answer and the lead flight attendant advises that there’s an elderly lady in the back who has become unresponsive. I ask my First Officer to contact our emergency medical service. This is a 24/7 available asset available to us via a dedicated radio frequency anywhere on our company route structure. He successfully makes contact with the Doctor on duty and links the lead flight attendant to him. She describes the lady’s condition to the Doc and he recommends getting her on the ground to medical attention as soon as possible.
During the time we passed over Columbus, completed the emergency medical call, and the Doc’s instructions, we’ve flown over 40 miles. Our Emergency Medical checklist directs to land at the nearest suitable airport. In this case, Columbus is the “nearest”. But, at 39,000 feet, we are six and a half miles above the airport and it’s going to take about 90 miles of travel across the ground to get the 737 down from cruise altitude to landing pattern altitude. Instead, we are now about 90 miles from Pittsburg and have a plane load of passengers expecting to deplane there tonight. I ask my flying partner what he thinks about continuing to point at Pittsburg versus spiraling down back to Columbus. He thinks Pittsburg is the most logical plan. I concur, ask him to declare a medical emergency with Center, and request an immediate, unrestricted descent. Center clears us as requested and direct to the Pittsburg airport. While pushing the nose over, reducing power to flight idle, and extending the speed brakes, I ask my partner to contact company at Pittsburg and advise them of our situation, then contact company dispatch in Dallas, and advise them.
As all of this transpires, I’ve got the jet pointed directly at the Pittsburg airport which is starting to come into view out in the distance on this moonless night. Our airspeed is intentionally just a half needle width below the max airspeed (barber pole striped) needle. At this speed we are coming out of altitude at a expedited rate and moving across the ground smartly with haste. We continue to monitor the crew intercom for any changes in the lady’s condition. Still unresponsive with a weak pulse. Approaching 10,000 feet, normal procedure and FAA requirement is slow to 250 knots, or less, before descending below that altitude. In an emergency situation, it’s the Captains’s discretion to do what is necessary and prudent for flight safety. Our unresponsive lady in the back, is in need of immediate medical attention. So, I advise that I’m going to keep the speed up. My partner replies “Roger that.” We’re slicing through the night air at about 330 knots.
Getting closer now, we are switched from the Center Controller to Pittsburg Approach. Checking in with him, we are cleared for a visual approach to runway 28R (nearest to our gate) and to contact Tower. Checking in with Tower and cleared to land 28R, we are on about a 20 mile, left downwind with the engines still in flight idle (about 35% RPM), speed brakes still extended, and leveling at a 1500 foot traffic pattern altitude, with 330 knots of airspeed. Now to get slowed down, extend the landing gear, flaps, and establish a normal pattern approach and landing.
Despite the 737’s chubby appearance, it is very aerodynamically clean and doesn’t slow down easily. A very typical and challenging skill to develop for pilots new to the jet, and a challenge tonight. As our airspeed bleeds off, the landing gear is extended at 270 knots, which helps further reduce airspeed so we can start extending flaps on schedule. We turn the base leg to final with final landing configuration established and set final approach target airspeed.
After landing, Tower clears us to the gate. Our Company Ops crew has done a great job preparing for us. There’s an ambulance, fire truck, and airport ops vehicles waiting for us at the gate. We park, shut down, complete the normal checklists, and can hear the flight attendants asking everyone to remain seated so the medical emergency crews can attend to the lady. She has somewhat come out of her unresponsive state as they transport her from the jet, place her on a gurney, and take her to the top of the jetway into the terminal. From there, the rest of our customers are cleared to deplane.
Since this is our last leg of the night, we, as a crew, have additional tasks to do before shutting the jet electrical power for the night. With all that done, I complete the final cabin walkthrough, conduct the shutdown checklist, and the jet goes dark.
The five of us start the trek up hill to the top of the jetway. As we get to the top, the medical crew is still there with the gurney but, it’s unoccupied. To our amazement (well, not so much because this is a fairly common scenario) our “unresponsive” lady is walking away under her own power, roller bag in tow. Glancing back to the medics, they just shrug their shoulders and shake their heads. In the airline industry, it’s referred to as “The Miracle Of Inflight Healing”.
It’s fairly routine on airline flights to encounter one or two people in wheel chairs that require assistance boarding. In our company, they are taken down to the jet first before anyone else boards so they can get on the jet unencumbered and select a front row seat. Then, remaining customers are boarded. The numbers vary but, are usually no more than a small hand full. I did work a flight once that had 26 wheel chairs to board. Higher numbers of wheel chairs obviously takes more time and usually results in a late departure.
Now, on the other end, after landing and parking, wheel chair customers are asked to remain seated until chairs are available in the jet way and so other customers can deplane. Frequently, we witness “The Miracle Of Inflight Healing” occur when only one or two (sometimes none) of a larger number of wheel chair bound customers requires a wheel chair to exit the plane but, instead walk up hill to the terminal. It’s a Miracle.
Next time flying commercial, observe this miracle healing in action.
Then, there are “Service” animals. But, don’t get me started on that.
