Narrative:

This flight departed jfk for sfo at xa uneventfully. Prior to departure first officer mentioned that the seafood entree that he consumed the previous evening was giving him an upset stomach and he reported some diarrhea. The previous day we had been scheduled to leave sfo for jfk at xb, however we experienced a maintenance delay, which also included changing equipment. The existing catering was transferred to the new equipment, except for some shrimp cocktails, I believe. We actually left the gate in sfo at xc. Our departure was 3 hours and 41 mins late. Over crazy woman, wy (czi VOR), the first officer asked to be excused from the cockpit to use the lavatory. As he was leaving the cockpit I heard a commotion behind me and a flight attendant that was seated on the jumpseat started to scream. I turned around just in time to see the first officer falling backward over the flight attendant and a catering beverage insert that was routinely placed on the flight deck. He fell against his seat, where he struck the shoulder harness lock handle. As he slumped sideways across the cockpit, it was my opinion that he was unconscious. I got up out of my seat and told the flight attendant to shut the door. Before she shut the door she called to another flight attendant just outside the door for assistance. I grabbed the observers O2 mask and set it to the constant flow position before applying the mask to the first officer. After about 45 seconds the first officer regained consciousness. He spent several mins on the jumpseat with O2 on, and then for a period of time he was back and forth to the lavatory because of diarrhea and nausea. My concern now was that I was on my own in a 2-M cockpit. The nearest really suitable field for landing was slc, which was at least 35 mins down the road. My thought was that for a slc landing, I would probably be a solo pilot. While the first officer was on one of his trips to the lavatory, I discussed our options with one of the more senior flight attendant's that was staying in the cockpit for assistance. We decided that if the first officer's condition did not begin to improve, we would have no alternative but to land the aircraft short of sfo. If we continued on the sfo, it became my criteria that he had to be well enough to resume his duties for descent and landing. I asked the flight attendant's if there were any other cockpit crew members on board. I was informed that an air carrier widebody transport flight engineer was available and in uniform. I asked that he situation in the first officer's seat and I had the first officer situation on the jumpseat to rest. As we went by slc it became apparent that the first officer's condition was improving and he was becoming very vocal about pressing on to sfo. Just prior to descent, the first officer returned to his seat and duties. I had the widebody transport pilot stay in the cockpit. The descent and landing at sfo were routine. At the flight termination, the first officer was escorted to the airport medical facility where it was determined he was very dehydrated. He received 2 containers of fluid I.V. He then was transferred to a local hospital where tests are pointing to food poisoning, but as of this date are not conclusive. A major point in all of this is that with all the industry expansion, some safety items are slipping through the cracks. The flight attendant that was in the cockpit during the incident did not now where the cockpit O2 was or how to use it. It was her statement that they get a good cabin chkout, but are generally unfamiliar with cockpit safety equipment. She also did not know how to call to the cabin using the cockpit interphone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FO INCAPACITATED POSSIBLY UNCONSCIOUS. FLT CONTINUED TO DESTINATION.

Narrative: THIS FLT DEPARTED JFK FOR SFO AT XA UNEVENTFULLY. PRIOR TO DEP FO MENTIONED THAT THE SEAFOOD ENTREE THAT HE CONSUMED THE PREVIOUS EVENING WAS GIVING HIM AN UPSET STOMACH AND HE RPTED SOME DIARRHEA. THE PREVIOUS DAY WE HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO LEAVE SFO FOR JFK AT XB, HOWEVER WE EXPERIENCED A MAINT DELAY, WHICH ALSO INCLUDED CHANGING EQUIP. THE EXISTING CATERING WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW EQUIP, EXCEPT FOR SOME SHRIMP COCKTAILS, I BELIEVE. WE ACTUALLY LEFT THE GATE IN SFO AT XC. OUR DEP WAS 3 HRS AND 41 MINS LATE. OVER CRAZY WOMAN, WY (CZI VOR), THE FO ASKED TO BE EXCUSED FROM THE COCKPIT TO USE THE LAVATORY. AS HE WAS LEAVING THE COCKPIT I HEARD A COMMOTION BEHIND ME AND A FLT ATTENDANT THAT WAS SEATED ON THE JUMPSEAT STARTED TO SCREAM. I TURNED AROUND JUST IN TIME TO SEE THE FO FALLING BACKWARD OVER THE FLT ATTENDANT AND A CATERING BEVERAGE INSERT THAT WAS ROUTINELY PLACED ON THE FLT DECK. HE FELL AGAINST HIS SEAT, WHERE HE STRUCK THE SHOULDER HARNESS LOCK HANDLE. AS HE SLUMPED SIDEWAYS ACROSS THE COCKPIT, IT WAS MY OPINION THAT HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS. I GOT UP OUT OF MY SEAT AND TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANT TO SHUT THE DOOR. BEFORE SHE SHUT THE DOOR SHE CALLED TO ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT JUST OUTSIDE THE DOOR FOR ASSISTANCE. I GRABBED THE OBSERVERS O2 MASK AND SET IT TO THE CONSTANT FLOW POS BEFORE APPLYING THE MASK TO THE FO. AFTER ABOUT 45 SECS THE FO REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS. HE SPENT SEVERAL MINS ON THE JUMPSEAT WITH O2 ON, AND THEN FOR A PERIOD OF TIME HE WAS BACK AND FORTH TO THE LAVATORY BECAUSE OF DIARRHEA AND NAUSEA. MY CONCERN NOW WAS THAT I WAS ON MY OWN IN A 2-M COCKPIT. THE NEAREST REALLY SUITABLE FIELD FOR LNDG WAS SLC, WHICH WAS AT LEAST 35 MINS DOWN THE ROAD. MY THOUGHT WAS THAT FOR A SLC LNDG, I WOULD PROBABLY BE A SOLO PLT. WHILE THE FO WAS ON ONE OF HIS TRIPS TO THE LAVATORY, I DISCUSSED OUR OPTIONS WITH ONE OF THE MORE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT'S THAT WAS STAYING IN THE COCKPIT FOR ASSISTANCE. WE DECIDED THAT IF THE FO'S CONDITION DID NOT BEGIN TO IMPROVE, WE WOULD HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO LAND THE ACFT SHORT OF SFO. IF WE CONTINUED ON THE SFO, IT BECAME MY CRITERIA THAT HE HAD TO BE WELL ENOUGH TO RESUME HIS DUTIES FOR DSCNT AND LNDG. I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT'S IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD. I WAS INFORMED THAT AN ACR WDB FE WAS AVAILABLE AND IN UNIFORM. I ASKED THAT HE SIT IN THE FO'S SEAT AND I HAD THE FO SIT ON THE JUMPSEAT TO REST. AS WE WENT BY SLC IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE FO'S CONDITION WAS IMPROVING AND HE WAS BECOMING VERY VOCAL ABOUT PRESSING ON TO SFO. JUST PRIOR TO DSCNT, THE FO RETURNED TO HIS SEAT AND DUTIES. I HAD THE WDB PLT STAY IN THE COCKPIT. THE DSCNT AND LNDG AT SFO WERE ROUTINE. AT THE FLT TERMINATION, THE FO WAS ESCORTED TO THE ARPT MEDICAL FAC WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED HE WAS VERY DEHYDRATED. HE RECEIVED 2 CONTAINERS OF FLUID I.V. HE THEN WAS TRANSFERRED TO A LCL HOSPITAL WHERE TESTS ARE POINTING TO FOOD POISONING, BUT AS OF THIS DATE ARE NOT CONCLUSIVE. A MAJOR POINT IN ALL OF THIS IS THAT WITH ALL THE INDUSTRY EXPANSION, SOME SAFETY ITEMS ARE SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS. THE FLT ATTENDANT THAT WAS IN THE COCKPIT DURING THE INCIDENT DID NOT NOW WHERE THE COCKPIT O2 WAS OR HOW TO USE IT. IT WAS HER STATEMENT THAT THEY GET A GOOD CABIN CHKOUT, BUT ARE GENERALLY UNFAMILIAR WITH COCKPIT SAFETY EQUIP. SHE ALSO DID NOT KNOW HOW TO CALL TO THE CABIN USING THE COCKPIT INTERPHONE.

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.