HOUSTON – A woman was removed from a Frontier Airlines flight that was getting ready to take off from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Monday evening.
Tonya Roehl and her husband were already in their seats aboard Flight 4181 to Phoenix, AZ, when a Frontier Airlines staff member came up to them, informing Tonya that her medical device wouldn’t be allowed on the plane.
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She wears a Wearable Cardiac Defibrillator (WDC) for a recently diagnosed heart condition.
A Wearable Cardiac Defibrillator is a portable device that monitors and delivers electrical shocks, if necessary, to prevent sudden cardiac death.
The Zoll Medical LifeVest 4000 is Tonya’s lifeline if her heart gives out.
Before she got on the plane, she notified TSA and Frontier Airlines ticket agents that she had the device, Roehl wrote to KPRC 2. It’s only after she got on the plane that the device became a problem, she says.
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“Once on plane they asked questions about it then proceeded to remove me and my husband from the flight stating it was not approved medical equipment,” she wrote to the Click2Houston Help Desk. “I offered to remove the device and its batteries, which I was then told my device, even with no battery in it, was not allowed on the plane even if it was not being used or in working order. They said the battery was somehow dangerous.”
Tonya recorded a video on her phone of the interaction with the Frontier Airlines employee. Here’s part of the transcript:
Tonya Roehl: “So, I can’t fly this plane because I have a medical device?”
Frontier Airlines Employee: “No, because the device you have is not on the approved list.”
Tonya Roehl: “So, the fact that I have a heart condition, I can’t fly your airline?”
Frontier Airlines Employee: “It’s not because of the heart condition, it’s because of the equipment.”
Tonya Roehl: “It’s because the equipment, which I’ve offered to take off and remove the battery and not do anything.”
Frontier Airlines Employee: “It’s still on-board, ma’am.”
Tonya Roehl: “Alright, so we’re screwed, we’re stuck, and I can’t see my children. I appreciate that.”
The battery for the device, which KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding inspected, is rated for 10.8 volts and 38 Wh. According to the FAA’s regulations for lithium-ion batteries, the size limit for batteries are limited to a rating of 100 watt hours per battery.
Additionally, the FAA guidelines state that all lithium-ion batteries need to be stored with the passenger in the aircraft cabin.
According to the manufacturer of the medical device, Zoll Medical, it’s cleared to be used on airplanes.
“The LifeVest® Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator can be safely worn by patients traveling by airplane. We have documentation related to traveling with LifeVest, which we provide to patients upon request,” a company spokesperson wrote to KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding.
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Frontier Airlines does outline specific guidelines for batteries used in motorized wheelchairs but doesn’t specify for other medical equipment.
“I’m mentally just appalled and embarrassed and sad,” Roehl said. “I’m just a grandma that wanted to see her babies.”
The couple was removed from the plane and weren’t offered a refund, according to Roehl. Their daughter drove from Livingston to pick them up and take them back home.
“That’s discrimination, I mean, it’s not just me. There’s other people that have this,” she said. “I feel like if I didn’t have a heart condition, I did not have this, there wouldn’t have been a problem.”
“Unceremoniously, without any thought about the way that this would make someone feel on a crowded aircraft,” said her husband, Kent Roehl.
Both the FAA and TSA pointed fingers at other agencies for answers on the lithium battery regulations.
Frontier Airlines did acknowledge the problem and says they’re investigating.
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are looking into this to more fully understand what happened. While we review the matter, we are reaching out to the customer to seek additional information from their perspective as well as to offer a refund as a customer service gesture,” a spokesperson wrote to KPRC 2.
After KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding started digging into the problem, the airline called Tonya to offer her a full refund and assure her of a full internal investigation.
“They offered to rebook me, but I declined,” she said. “I have zero confidence in them.”
