How many more times must international pax, due to an emergency, be stranded on the ground in AUS?

[jrfsp]

Some more information overnight...it seems the person with the medical emergency begun to have seizures shortly after take off however it was decided by JQ to continue rather than return to BKK.

The other issue is why does a new Dreamliner go tech shortly after landing in ASP and then JQ/QF take 8hrs+ to sort a solution when many aircraft (both JQ and QF) could be dispatched to rescue the passengers?

The final slap in the face is JQ advising compensation will be handled on a case-by-case basis!

RE compensation, agreed but unless the government improves passenger rights for disruption then then nothing will change. Not to mention all the knock-on cancellations this has had.

 

[Mwenenzi]

news.com.au Jetstar passengers stuck for 7 hours after emergency landing

<snip>
As Alice Springs Airport is not an international airport, the passengers were told they could not leave the plane to stretch their legs.

After waiting on the tarmac for seven hours, passengers were then escorted off the plane but still had to wait in a room at the terminal before eventually boarding a replacement plane.
<snip>
Passengers were finally allowed to exit the plane and rest inside the terminal after 11 hours with photos showing them sleeping on the floor.
<snip>
“Being a domestic airport Alice Springs does not have customs processing facilities, and when there was a further delay as a result of an electrical fault while the aircraft was on the ground, we worked with Border Agencies, the NT Police and the local Airport Authority to give passengers the option to disembark into a specially partitioned section of the Airport. We worked with the airport to provide drinks and food
<snip>

abc.net.au-->Jetstar passengers stranded on plane at Alice Springs Airport for more than six hours due to medical emergency

Am 110% sure JQ would have wanted those pax & crew off the aircraft sooner if the govt authorities & airport would have let them, after the engineering fault was identified. Being on a Sunday does not help in getting a rapid response from Govt bureaucrats.

 

[ketsuzei]

The final slap in the face is JQ advising compensation will be handled on a case-by-case basis!

LOL.

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Some more information overnight...it seems the person with the medical emergency begun to have seizures shortly after take off however it was decided by JQ to continue rather than return to BKK.

The other issue is why does a new Dreamliner go tech shortly after landing in ASP and then JQ/QF take 8hrs+ to sort a solution when many aircraft (both JQ and QF) could be dispatched to rescue the passengers?

Given this new information my question now is why did they decide to divert to Alice Springs? No offence to the people of Alice Springs, but I would imagine that there would be FAR more suitable places to divert for the passenger with medical issues and also for the passengers on the 787 than Alice Springs (Darwin comes to mind, for instance). I think (although I could be mistaken here) that Darwin also may have ABF facilities for processing passengers and maybe even an international terminal to keep passengers sterile whilst in transit.

What am I missing here?

 

[jrfsp]

Given this new information my question now is why did they decide to divert to Alice Springs? No offence to the people of Alice Springs, but I would imagine that there would be FAR more suitable places to divert for the passenger with medical issues and also for the passengers on the 787 than Alice Springs (Darwin comes to mind, for instance). I think (although I could be mistaken here) that Darwin also may have ABF facilities for processing passengers and maybe even an international terminal to keep passengers sterile whilst in transit.

What am I missing here?

Having a look at the flight track, it looks like the decision to divert happened around Yulara. The medical was obviously serious enough at this point to divert to the closest place that can take a 787 and has medical facilities (ASP). ADL, DRW or even PER would all be at least 1.5 if not 2 hours flying time.

 

[RooFlyer]

What am I missing here?

It’s Jetstar - why the hell should they make contingencies when they can just keep the passengers on a plane for many hours?

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Having a look at the flight track, it looks like the decision to divert happened around Yulara. The medical was obviously serious enough at this point to divert to the closest place that can take a 787 and has medical facilities (ASP). ADL, DRW or even PER would all be at least 1.5 if not 2 hours flying time.

I suppose my question is why was the decision made to divert so late. If the passenger was having seizures close to take off, surely the decision to divert would've been made in the hours afterwards. Now granted, I am not a Medical Doctor by a stretch of the imagination, but would be curious if we have any Doctors on this forum who could explain why the decision to push on was made? I would think that having a seizure on a plane isn't an everyday occurrence and one that requires immediate medical attention.

-RooFlyer88

 

[Quickstatus]

it seems the person with the medical emergency begun to have seizures shortly after take off however it was decided by JQ to continue rather than return to BKK.

I would think that having a seizure on a plane isn't an everyday occurrence and one that requires immediate medical attention.

Seizures can be as benign as a little short lived twitch, or an "absence" (lights on but no one home).
Or it can be a grand mal seizure which the type people are most familiar with and can be a medical emergency
Or it can be status epilepticus. Meaning a seizure which does not stop and is a medical emergency.

Which one did the passenger have on take off?
Did the passenger have a history of seizures or was this the first episode?

then JQ/QF take 8hrs+ to sort a solution when many aircraft (both JQ and QF) could be dispatched to rescue the passengers?

Time on ground approx 12hrs
I presume there was some troubleshooting before the pilots decided the aircraft was not flyable.

Im not sure if there are "many" aircraft available?
JQ had to cancel a service to accomodate this
Did QF have any spares?.

but I would imagine that there would be FAR more suitable places to divert for the passenger with medical issues

Here is the point of diversion:
Which airport do you think is far more suitable.
At the point of diversion the aircraft would be 1.5hr from DRW/ADL. Maybe 2hrs from PER. 2.5hrs from MEL

 

[dajop]

I suppose my question is why was the decision made to divert so late. If the passenger was having seizures close to take off, surely the decision to divert would've been made in the hours afterwards. Now granted, I am not a Medical Doctor by a stretch of the imagination, but would be curious if we have any Doctors on this forum who could explain why the decision to push on was made? I would think that having a seizure on a plane isn't an everyday occurrence and one that requires immediate medical attention.

-RooFlyer88

It my understanding that most airlines have a medical provider they consult with in making such decisions, and it is not a decision the captain would make in isolation. Only a doctor that had details of the specific medical case would know if this was a reasonable course of action or not.

Also remember this isn't a transpacific flight, the flight route is within range of various places with reasonable medical care, KUL, SIN, DPS, DRW, ASP, ADL to divert to should the passengers condition deteriorate ...

 

[Quickstatus]

Only a doctor that had details of the specific medical case would know if this was a reasonable course of action or not.

No, the authority remains with the pilots to continue or divert. They have contact with a worldwide aviation medicine advisory service. I don't know if QF uses an Australian service when within AUS airspace

the flight route is within range of various places with reasonable medical care

There are a few assumptions here.
One is that the diversion was too late.
Second is that the medical emergency could/should have endured a further 2hrs flight to go somewhere with equivalent medical expertise but more amenable in terms of immigration services.
The assumptions of the first does not comport with the assumptions of the second - that the pilots should have diverted earlier but when they did decide to divert they should have flown for another 1.5-2.5hrs to go somewhere else other than the closest?. That is devoid of any logic.

 

[milehighclub]

I don't know if QF uses an Australian service when within AUS airspace

They patch to Medlink for all flights, based in the US. If it is serious enough for a diversion, they then make the required arrangements in that port. They have a list of all the equipment and medication so when QF calls they know what resources we have, as not all airlines carry the same.

 

[Quickstatus]

Medlink

Ah thanks. I had the name MedAire in my brain.
.....

The issue is not the medical diversion.

The issue is how best to accomodate passengers from an international flight which landed at an airport without immigration facilities.

 

[dajop]

No, the authority remains with the pilots to continue or divert. They have contact with a worldwide aviation medicine advisory service. I don't know if QF uses an Australian service when within AUS airspace

Yes, I didn't suggest anything else, the words "consult with in making such decisions" perhaps implies they would still have authority.

Captains are not medical doctors, I would be extremely surprised if they made a decision entirely on their own,, without any inputs from professionals, unless they had no mechanism to communicate with medical advisor. But I could be talking out of my backside , maybe one of our current or former captains could chime in with what inputs they take in making such a decision?

 

[Quickstatus]

I think is best to not conflate the 2 events

The first - the medical diversion is what it is and without further information, I don't think we can properly construe that a diversion should have occured earlier. Reports of Seizures and stroke can be found online. But the timeline of what actually happened is not apparent

The second, an international flight arriving at an airport without immigration facilities and apparently without any contingency plans to accomodate such events. Even NTL which calls itself an international airport did not have similar plans.

Time for Immigration and the airlines to standup contingency plans to sort this out.

 

[drron]

If the passenger had a stroke which the news article implies then time is of the essence as these days a stroke can be reversed if treatment given early enough so diverting to another airport would have risked the patients ongoing health.

 

[Princess Fiona]

If the passenger had a stroke which the news article implies then time is of the essence as these days a stroke can be reversed if treatment given early enough so diverting to another airport would have risked the patients ongoing health.

Getting very OT but they will do thrombolysis in Alice but send to Adelaide for clot retrieval?

 

[drron]

Getting very OT but they will do thrombolysis in Alice but send to Adelaide for clot retrieval?

Basically thrombolysis at all major regional and rural hospitals. Made easier by on call stroke services offered from all capital cities I believe.
So I have organised thrombolysis at the Mersey hospital in Latrobe North West Tasmania at 2am with the CT being reported in Melbourne and chatting to the on call neurologist at the Victorian Stroke Service.
Clot retrieval would almost certainly be done in Adelaide from ASP.

 

[Melburnian1]

But I think it raises a question, what duty of care should airlines offer passengers in such circumstances? For me being stuck on a tarmac in what was likely mid-30s weather for several hours even with AC was likely uncomfortable (remember the outside air is normally -60 when a 787 is at cruising altitude meaning cooling is generally not an issue).

An especially troubling situation for parents with babes on board, and some elderly people. Wouldn't some babies pass out under 'no or limited aircon' and 'mid 20s' temperatures?

The rest would find it peeving, annoying, boring and have many other sentiments.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Basically thrombolysis at all major regional and rural hospitals. Made easier by on call stroke services offered from all capital cities I believe.
So I have organised thrombolysis at the Mersey hospital in Latrobe North West Tasmania at 2am with the CT being reported in Melbourne and chatting to the on call neurologist at the Victorian Stroke Service.
Clot retrieval would almost certainly be done in Adelaide from ASP.

And some not capital cities !!!
We do ECR here 24/7

 

[Bundy Bear]

Something won't change until a politician is on a flight that this occurs on, but most politicians would fly Qantas and not even think about Jetstar.