Flight Attendant Airline Total 28; Flight Attendant Number Of Acft Qualified On 4; Flight Attendant Total 28; Flight Attendant Type 25
Communication Breakdown
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Diverted
Human Factors
Approximately 30 minutes after takeoff I was working the aft end of the beverage cart as Flight Attendant #2. Flight Attendant #1 summoned Flight Attendant #4; who was working the forward end of the beverage cart; to come up front. Upon receiving information #4 hustled back to tell me our pilot was ill and we would be landing soon. As we hurried back with the beverage cart we felt the airplane begin a fairly steep descent. Flight Attendant #1 made a P.A. apparently letting the passengers know we were landing. I however could not hear what was said due to the very loud cabin noise that is typical on the MD80 aircraft. We did our safety checks and took our jump seats. It felt like we landed approximately 15 minutes after I received the information regarding the emergency. A medical team met our flight and our First Officer was immediately taken off. Our Captain made a P.A. explaining the medical situation and then left so as to accompany the First Officer to the hospital. The most troubling issue for me was not being able to hear the P.A. In fact I did not realize that a P.A. had been made at all due to the extremely loud cabin and engine noise that are part and parcel of working a MD80 aircraft.
MD80 Flight Attendant describes an emergency diversion to obtain medical attention for an ill First Officer.