Date: 201310
Aircraft: Q400
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Cruise
Aircraft component: Oxygen System/Portable
Component problem: Design
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Contributing factors: Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part; Equipment / Tooling
Primary problem: Equipment / Tooling

Narrative: While dealing with a medical situation two things happened on this flight that were of great safety concern! 1) Although the wrong oxygen bottle was accidentally grabbed the much bigger issue was that the metal mask insertion [fitting] was malfunctioning! Whether it was the mask tubing fitting or on the bottle side it would not attach! I tried; the male EMT tried; and then; once we landed; the Mechanic even tried and had difficulty with connecting the mask to the bottle; the Mechanic initially suspected it might be the wrong mask for the bottle. Later the Mechanic told me it was the correct numbered part for that bottle; however; it definitely was not working properly. Had we had a decompression issue or some other issue where we needed more oxygen; especially for the flight attendants; we would have been compromised! 2) Once on the ground and taxied to our gate we had to 'HOLD' for several minutes while they pushed another aircraft out of our way! I could not believe this! Had this been a bigger medical [issue] than it was--or had we been performing CPR--we could have easily lost this passenger! I later learned that the ATC Controller failed to notify our ground crew that we had a medical situation on board. That mistake could have cost our passenger his life!!I do not know what caused the break down of communication on the ground as I was attending to the passenger on my aircraft and I do not have access to the communications from ATC or ground.

Callback: The reporter advised that there are two separate and distinct types of portable O2 bottles on board the fleet.  There are three flight attendant walkaround bottles stored with the mask installed in the low flow outlet but with an adjacent high flow outlet for use with medical emergencies.  In addition; there is one passenger emergency portable bottle with the mask installed in the high flow outlet.  Another Flight Attendant had inadvertently retrieved a flight attendant bottle and; when they were unable to access the high flow outlet the assisting attendant was sent in pursuit of the passenger bottle for timely access to the high flow supply.  Unfortunately; the reporter remained engaged with the passenger and was not aware whether the other walkaround bottles suffered the same high flow failure.She noted the passenger had responded to ministrations by EMTs and herself; and although looking a little peaked; was last seen awaiting a connecting flight.



Synopsis: When faced with supplying oxygen to an unresponsive passenger the Lead Flight Attendant aboard a Q400 was unable to insert the mask into the preferred high flow port on a flight attendant walkaround bottle.  Another portable bottle; intended specifically for medical emergencies with immediate access to high flow was obtained to successfully resuscitate the passenger who was mobile upon arrival.