Narrative:

Approximately 5 mins prior to landing, the #1 flight attendant called the copilot. The first officer looked at me as if to ask if he should answer it due to the fact that we were in the sterile cockpit period. I instructed him to do so. He relayed to me that a passenger was experiencing chest pains. I asked the controller what our sequence was. He informed me we were #1, but there was an aircraft on final. I kept the speed up and he began to vector us for sequencing. I replied I could not accept any vectors, stated the problem, said I wished to declare a medical emergency and needed traffic priority. The controller 'broke out' the aircraft in front of us and cleared us for the visual. We had the runway and the other aircraft in sight. I continued to keep the speed at 280-290 KIAS until about 10 mi from tjsj (sju). The landing was uneventful, medical authorities met us at the gate (we kept all passenger seated until cleared by the medical team). The 81 yr old male passenger in question was deemed ok by the medical team.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ADVICE FROM CABIN ATTENDANT THAT A PAX WAS HAVING CHEST PAINS CAUSED CAPT TO DECLARE A MEDICAL EMER AND KEEP SPD UP FOR VISUAL APCH AND LNDG AT SJC.

Narrative: APPROX 5 MINS PRIOR TO LNDG, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COPLT. THE FO LOOKED AT ME AS IF TO ASK IF HE SHOULD ANSWER IT DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE WERE IN THE STERILE COCKPIT PERIOD. I INSTRUCTED HIM TO DO SO. HE RELAYED TO ME THAT A PAX WAS EXPERIENCING CHEST PAINS. I ASKED THE CTLR WHAT OUR SEQUENCE WAS. HE INFORMED ME WE WERE #1, BUT THERE WAS AN ACFT ON FINAL. I KEPT THE SPD UP AND HE BEGAN TO VECTOR US FOR SEQUENCING. I REPLIED I COULD NOT ACCEPT ANY VECTORS, STATED THE PROBLEM, SAID I WISHED TO DECLARE A MEDICAL EMER AND NEEDED TFC PRIORITY. THE CTLR 'BROKE OUT' THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US AND CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL. WE HAD THE RWY AND THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT. I CONTINUED TO KEEP THE SPD AT 280-290 KIAS UNTIL ABOUT 10 MI FROM TJSJ (SJU). THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL, MEDICAL AUTHORITIES MET US AT THE GATE (WE KEPT ALL PAX SEATED UNTIL CLRED BY THE MEDICAL TEAM). THE 81 YR OLD MALE PAX IN QUESTION WAS DEEMED OK BY THE MEDICAL TEAM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.