Medical Operation on HKG-LHR flights(circa 1994)

[Rwy in Sight]

Does any one remember the story of a female SLF that had a road accident on the way to HKG airport and her injuries become obvious during cruise over the Subcontinent. A doctor used some bottles and pipes from the make and treate her on-flight on a temporary operation room and helped her enough up until they landed in LHR where she was admitted in a hospital in London.

BBC ran a show about that in 1995 but I would like to have some more details.


Rwy in Sight

[Cabin Pressure89]

I remember the bbc doc on it.

She had a motor bike accident and was fine when she checked in. But in flight she became worse.

Dr put a chest drain in her made from a bottle and tube! (typical nhs dr!!!)

In the end she was fine!

Thats about it, all I can remember!

[Jim Spence]

Cant remember much more, except the freaky coincidence that a surgeon / consultant at the top of his field was also travelling on the same flight and recognised that a drain of some sort had to be created to relieve pressure on her lungs, chest wall or something.

I am sure that he did this using a coat hanger (?), as well as items from the onboard medical kit. Also, the "implements" were sterilized using cognac from the onboard bar, if I am not mistaken (strong alcohol being the closest thing to medical spirit).

The aircraft I am sure was a B742, and again from memory, the incident happened such that the aircraft had to route to New Delhi as the next convenient place to land, or had just passed New Delhi and had missed that post.......can't remember exactly. But, the woman was on tv a few years back still talking about it (BBC Holidays from Hell)

Jim

[qfcabin]

The co incidence of medical specialists being on board at the best possible time was also indicated when QF had a childbirth many years ago into Sydney. My memory says that there were several gynos and obstetricians on board coming home from a conference.NO doubt someone will recall more details than I but the company offered free travel to the child..wonder what became of it..(or him or her, I should say)

[ferris]

My wife was crewing a flight where a lady suffered a miscarriage mid-ocean. There were 40 specialists on board conference bound, so at least the mother was saved.

She also had to deal with a gentleman towards the front, who complained loudly and often that "just cause that woman's having a problem, why should the rest of us suffer?" ie. couldn't get drinks (surgery being performed on galley floor). The captain came down, told him if he opened his mouth for the remainder of the flight he would be hand-cuffed and gagged, and to hand over his FF card as he wouldn't be requiring it any more.