SocraticGadfly: If you’re going to be in a plane crash, or have a mid-air heart attack, be sure not to fly American

February 25, 2008

If you’re going to be in a plane crash, or have a mid-air heart attack, be sure not to fly American

The big AA now has a public-relations nightmare on its hands, as well as a likely lawsuit. On a flight from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, a passenger complained about feeling unwell. Twice, the passenger asked a flight attendant for oxygen and both times was told no.

Finally, the flight attendant checked with the cabin, and they said it was OK to use a portable oxygen tank.

One problem — it was empty. So, too, was a second tank. By this time, the passenger-cum-patient had collapsed. So, the plane’s defibrillator was apparently hauled out.

You guessed it. Didn’t work. The passenger died before the plane could make an emergency landing.

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