Date: 201404
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Aircraft: A330
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Physiological - Other
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: In-flight; Pre-flight
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Flight attendants were waiting for Captain's briefing. While we were waiting for pilot briefing we sent in the A Flight Attendant to check on front in. She came back stating they would be here in a few minutes. Getting close to boarding time; still no briefing. First Officer and Relief Officer show up stating Captain still on phone with Flight Planning. First officer stated; 'SOP and if anything would change they would let us know.'  So at this time we proceeded to gate at this point. I have yet to see or speak to Captain. Soon; in flight a Flight Attendant states; 'Wow; you should see the Captain; he looks really sick.' I think nothing of it other then he must have a cold or flu. Why would you come to work and expose us to his illness? Shortly after service; a coach Flight Attendant states to me she has been called to the flight deck and only her. Did not know why or outcome of that meeting. I find out at the hotel. She was only allowed to tell the A Flight Attendant and E Flight Attendant. Decision was made to apparently keep rest of crew in dark about what was discussed. Deplaning in ZZZZ as I am getting off jetway; I see a man sitting in a chair looking very ill and think to myself; this person is very sick. At about this time I see the First Officer and Relief Pilot standing beside this person. I think to myself please don't let this be our Captain. I did not recognize this man as an employee; because he had pullover wind breaker jacket of some type. Saw no stripes; crew ID or anything that would lead me to believe he was a crew member. At this point I hear whispers; we need to walk slowly. I'm wondering what's going on. At this point I realize this is our Captain and he can hardly walk. He was extremely winded and had to stop every so often to rest. We proceed to the bus. As he approaches the bus he stops to smoke. When rest of crew arrives he tries to get on bus. I am sitting at doorway so I have full view of him attempting to climb three steps to get in bus. He was having a difficult time doing this. He proceeds to sit a row in front of me on opposite side of bus so I have full view of him. So I observe him. He was having extreme difficulty moving around in seat and moving left arm. I notice his left hand is swollen and on the back of his right hand a huge black and blue mark; with bandage on that hand. At this point to me it is obvious to me this person is not fit to fly. If there would be some sort of emergency in flight there is no way he could have handled it. We arrive at hotel and Captain is one of first people to get a room. Flight attendants are now talking amongst ourselves saying; 'What the heck?' I cannot believe he was flying this aircraft. We are making statements to First Officer; I am not flying back with him due to safety reasons. We had discussion what should be done about this situation. This is when I realize this was what the meeting was about in the air. And it was decided then to keep us in the dark about this situation until we landed. I am by no means happy with this decision about my life being made for me. We left the lobby to go to our rooms for the day; assuming the First Officer was going to call scheduling about this situation because I; for one; was definitely not flying back to the States with him in charge of aircraft... I have no idea whether First Officer called or not. I heard later in the day that a flight attendant called scheduling to advise them of situation. Flight attendants should never get on an aircraft without laying eyes on pilots and having a simple conversation with them. I feel this is a must. If I would have seen him in briefing and listened to and spoke to him I would have know something was wrong.  This man was obviously sick for some time. I believe the Chief Pilot needs [to have] a presence in the [the pre-departure crew room] when international check-ins happen. There appears to be no accountability. We have in-flight supervisors inthe room; why not the chief pilot? I believe this to be of utmost importance; it was quite obvious this man was extremely ill.




Synopsis: When a series of behavioral hints and suspicious events before; during and after their transatlantic flight brought into question the Captain's fitness for flight; the flight attendants made it clear that; in their opinion; he was not fit to fly the return flight.