EMB ERJ 190/195 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Security; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Passenger Misconduct
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Returned To Gate
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
[The flight returned to the gate] with a level one threat after a passenger; complained to the F/A (Flight Attendant) that an adjacent passenger sitting was not putting her seatbelt on; acting suspiciously (placing her feet into the seat back pockets; leaning into her; leaning into the aisle) and was observed popping pills from an unknown prescription bottle. [The passenger] felt scared for her safety and the intoxicated passenger's safety and got up to advise the FA's as we were next for takeoff. A concern was raised about how many pills were consumed and about the safety of the passenger and her heavily medicated state. She was also observed to be pregnant which made the reporting passenger even more worried. I made the decision to return to the gate for observance by a CRO (Complaint Resolution Official); GSC (Ground Security Coordinator); the paramedics and the police. I advised dispatch that we had a level one threat and was assigned a return gate. It was later determined that she overdosed on the pills and was originally on her way for drug rehab.I want to put a kudos out to the flight attendants; my first officer; gate agents; supervisors and all that helped save this passenger's life by speaking up and responding quickly. Without voicing her ultimate concern and doing the right thing we would have potentially faced a more difficult time and possible diversion. When we have IROPs (Irregular Operations) like a return to gate; it can be very difficult to get the team going again. I must say that without my wonderful dispatcher working my flight and promptly getting on the fuelers; operations and coordinating ground support; we would have simply timed out. With the help of the dispatcher we were able to coordinate our extension with crew tracking; get the ATC desk manned with ATC to expedite our taxiing during expected taxi time of 39 minutes and get us airborne 14 minutes from pushback to take off. This saved us from having to go back to the gate and cause further delays/cancellation.On the downside we have got to get something done about our ground crew. We waited entirely too long for a ramp crew to guide us back to the gate. People sit around with not my 'gateitis' instead of jumping in to assist. This is my second overdose this year. In both cases if we had more signage and awareness pertaining to observance of other passengers behaviors and speaking up when something doesn't look right; we could reduce our return to gates and medical diversions. So in conjunction with human trafficking maybe we can also expose the ugly truth with signage about the other elephant in the room; chronic prescription drug abuse and ways to identify those who might be under the influence? In this case passengers saw this lady popping prescription at the gate; while boarding; while taxing and even as she was being escorted off the airplane.
An Embraer ERJ-175 Captain reported they returned to the gate due to an intoxicated/ill passenger.