Date: 201304
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: B737-700
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Taxi
ATC / advisory: Ramp ZZZ
Aircraft component: Oxygen System/Portable
Component problem: Design
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Flight Attendant (On Duty)
Reporter qualification: Flight Attendant Current
Human factors: Confusion; Distraction; Training / Qualification; Troubleshooting
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Detector: Person Flight Attendant
When detected: Pre-flight
Result: Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Equipment / Tooling; Manuals; Procedure
Primary problem: Manuals

Narrative: I was assisting a passenger with an Personal Oxygen Container (POC). The Customer was listed on Flight Attendant Information Sheet. Initially at boarding; flight had open seats. I had the device (because it is big) placed under the seat by window; male passenger requiring oxygen in the middle; wife on aisle; Row 3 DEF. Twenty or so minutes later; before oxygen mask demo; wife of man on oxygen said to us that he was not receiving oxygen and that the device had to be upright. System was approved; and since the passenger under ADA; we stood the device upright in front of seat 3F. Since we have no general knowledge of how these devices work; I assumed that since they are approved by the FAA; and since the Company allows for the carriage of such; and since the passenger required the use of it; that under ADA (American with Disabilities Act) we were required to provide proper accommodation for the device and the Customer. Since the device; according to the Customer; required being upright for the device to work; I assumed we were required to allow the device to be upright next to the Customer so the Customer was provided with life needed oxygen. My 'C' Flight Attendant and I did further research of this situation in the Flight Attendant Manual (FAM) as this was a first in my entire career. FAM states that the device must be stowed beneath the seat for takeoff and landings; but it does not mention a situation as indicated above: an approved device with the Customer requiring it (the husband) and the accompanying Customer (the wife) insisted that it had to be upright for such to be operational. A device in which the Customer said needed on a continuous basis; and nowhere does it provide us (the flight attendants) a basic understanding of what they are in depth; whether they require to be upright in order for such to be operational; and if such is not the case; then how we can communicate to the using customers that they are in fact operating the device the wrong way; and how we as an airline protect ourselves from negative retaliation from the said customers under the ADA. For a situation as this; FAM states it has to be stowed for takeoff and landing; but like any medically assisted devices that would seem to be protected under ADA under reasonable accommodations. FAM does not go in depth for a situation such as the one above; and recurrent training does not train us on the basic operation/understanding of these devices when faced with such a situation; especially when the said Customer claims the device must be upright for such to be operational; and therefore if such claims were true as we have no basic knowledge of operations of such; and therefore such was cleared by Customer Service Agent; and that such device is an approved device; then I was to assume that consideration of such operational constraints were taken into consideration by the FAA; and therefore I believe that since such operational constraints were seemingly approved; that we would have been required to act as I need; and especially and therefore providing proper accommodation under ADA. The device was by the window; the egress of the Customer was not obstructed in the event of a called evacuation. The device was stable in its respective cradle; and the Customer was receiving oxygen as said to be required by both himself and his wife.Give us more information about the devices; whether they require to be upright or not in order to be operational; basic understanding on the operation of all devices approved by the FAA; whether these devices can work laying down; more in depth training on how to explain to ADA customers that they are doing wrong; and most of all; provide us with proper explanation on how we are protected from legal retaliation from the said customers under ADA by explaining to them that their devices seeming as I was told today does work laying down when the said Customer where vehement about what they believed that the said approved POC device could only work while standing up.




Synopsis: A flight attendant allowed a Personal Oxygen Container (POC) to remain upright during takeoff and landing because the ADA law requires accommodating the disabled and the system did not provide oxygen when lying flat.