Medical Question
 

Some months ago there was a thread on here dealing with incapacitations in-flight and the emergency medical kit on freighter aircraft. With that thread in mind I am asking for anyone with knowledge of a cargo pilot who became incapacitated or suffered from a cardiac abnormality, allergic reaction or other serious medical issue in flight to please contact me offline.

I am working on a proposal for upgrading the EMK's on cargo aircraft and need some background information for our proposal.

Absolute confidentiality will be respected.

Thanks

Please contact (PM) JetJock here on APC. Recently he sent a detailed letter to his chief pilot suggesting just what you're proposing...

I support the idea and please keep us posted; I'd love to see that happen here at Big Brown too...

Could you wait until the re-retreads go away....:D

I don't want them to die, maybe we can use it to shock them into retirement though.:D

I received a phone call this evening from ALPA's Executive Chairman for Pilot Assistance (Alaska Gator), who is working on a proposal for an enhanced emergency medical kit, for long-haul cargo aircraft. This kit would include enhancements such as: an AED, epi-pens and some oral medications, and since I had written to our CP about AED's, he was interested in my take on things, which I gave him gladly.

His request is that if any of you know of a Freight Dog, who has had a heart-related medical issue during flight, to share that information with him, so that he can use it to increase the chances of the FAA's willingness to create an FAR that specifically directs All-Cargo Airlines to carry an enhanced emergency medical kit. As well, AG is working directly with the cargo carriers, in the hope of getting these kits installed, on a voluntary basis.

If any of you can help, I'm sure that both he and anyone who, in the future, might suffer a critical heart situation, in flight, would be most appreciative. It could even be you!

JJ

Jetjok, I tried to read your post but seemed to be having some kind of heart related issue and was having trouble focusing on anything other than your avatar.

He got a heart related issue because of his avatar... :D

Back in 1999 an Emery captain had had a fatal heart attack on, or slightly before, touchdown in KIND and the plane went off the runway.
Pilot of cargo plane is fatally stricken during landing at Indianapolis airport

Also, the last time we had a crew member need medical assistance in-flight the MD on the line at MedLink basically said something to the effect of "Are you telling me you're flying planes across the ocean without even stocking epi-pens in the first aid kit?" It may be worth your time getting a hold of this company to see what they recommend (if you haven't already) to be stocked in the kits. This is who about every dispatch office uses during a phone patch for a medical emergency for both cargo and passenger flights.
24-hour Inflight Medical Support for Commercial Airlines

Well, this was a passenger flight but pilots are pilots whether they fly passengers or cargo. At least an AED was avaiable on his flight, not sure if they tried to use it or not but the option was there...

Not sure how the FAA can discount our (cargo pilots) lives that easily but nothing new here I guess...


Professional Pilot News: Continental pilot dies in-flight