Air carrier medium large transport diverted to alternate because of a sick passenger.

Attributes
ACN	109681
Time
Date	198904
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zdv
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 16000
ASRS Report	109681
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other

Narrative:

Flight departed las bound for cle. Approximately 1 hour after departure my first cabin attendant advised that a woman passenger had passed out and requested that I turn on the no smoking sign as she planned to give O2 to the passenger. Passenger seemed to recover. Cabin attendant reported that pulse appeared to be normal. 15 mins later I received call that this passenger was passed out again. At this time I was approximately 90 mi southeast of den at 33000'. I declared a medical emergency and asked to divert to den by direct routing. ATC cleared me direct to den and issued a descent clearance to 17000'. We landed runway 26L in den on a visibility approach. Medical personnel were waiting for us on the gate, and passenger was transported to hospital. Although there was not a serious problem to safety of flight, in the 15 mins from declaring the medical emergency to landing, the workload on a 2 pilot aircraft was very high. Had the cabin attendant not been as effective as she was, this additional load could have overloaded the normal checklist in the cockpit. All the crew members on this trip had been through company crew coordination training program and I believe that this training worked well.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE BECAUSE OF A SICK PASSENGER.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED LAS BOUND FOR CLE. APPROX 1 HR AFTER DEP MY FIRST CABIN ATTENDANT ADVISED THAT A WOMAN PAX HAD PASSED OUT AND REQUESTED THAT I TURN ON THE NO SMOKING SIGN AS SHE PLANNED TO GIVE O2 TO THE PAX. PAX SEEMED TO RECOVER. CABIN ATTENDANT RPTED THAT PULSE APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. 15 MINS LATER I RECEIVED CALL THAT THIS PAX WAS PASSED OUT AGAIN. AT THIS TIME I WAS APPROX 90 MI SE OF DEN AT 33000'. I DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER AND ASKED TO DIVERT TO DEN BY DIRECT ROUTING. ATC CLRED ME DIRECT TO DEN AND ISSUED A DSCNT CLRNC TO 17000'. WE LANDED RWY 26L IN DEN ON A VIS APCH. MEDICAL PERSONNEL WERE WAITING FOR US ON THE GATE, AND PAX WAS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NOT A SERIOUS PROB TO SAFETY OF FLT, IN THE 15 MINS FROM DECLARING THE MEDICAL EMER TO LNDG, THE WORKLOAD ON A 2 PLT ACFT WAS VERY HIGH. HAD THE CABIN ATTENDANT NOT BEEN AS EFFECTIVE AS SHE WAS, THIS ADDITIONAL LOAD COULD HAVE OVERLOADED THE NORMAL CHKLIST IN THE COCKPIT. ALL THE CREW MEMBERS ON THIS TRIP HAD BEEN THROUGH COMPANY CREW COORD TRNING PROGRAM AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS TRNING WORKED WELL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.