Originally Posted by
Cmon-PullUP
As a Captain, this is - unlike many other cases - a very black and white case.
Over mainland Europe with someone slumping away, family on board who can tell about her general health and inform of her allergi, a diversion is called for.
Unless it is severe weather or Low Vis all over, or the area infested with hurricanes, it is possible to be on the ground within 20 min anywhere overhead Europe's mainland.
This is absolutely tragic on all accounts, and a diversion might not have changed anything, but not trying while flying where they were, is poor decision making.
Safety first.
I'm so glad it is a clear case, black and white. I'll relate a tale from a few years back.
We had a passenger on board who was asthmatic, and was having difficulties breathing. The passenger in question was travelling home as part of a football team. The senior contacted the flight deck, expressed concerns about the passenger's health, and demanded a diversion.
We were expected by SOP to contact the company's medical service first (albeit we still had the choice to divert immediately if we deemed it necessary). We asked for some basic information about the patient/pax to pass along to the medical folks on the end of our HF patch.
The senior grew more and more anxious, as 'the passenger was turning blue, and they (cc) were giving oxygen'.
The time to diversion was about the same as reaching destination at this point.
The senior continued to demand a diversion.
We landed at destination ultimately, after getting a 'direct to'.
The ambulance met the aircraft, and the paramedics came on board to see to the patient.
The senior was furious.
The plane was offloaded.
The senior was then presented with a clear view of his previously 'terminal passenger' attempting to light up a cigarette, while hoisting one heavy kit bag over her shoulder, and disagreeing with ramp staff about smoking on the apron.
I then asked the senior if he still thought that we should have diverted for that passenger?
I'd hestitate to call the BA/anaphylaxis case black and white, as we simply weren't there, and we likely do not have all of the information that was available to the crew, the doctor on board, or the family.