Narrative:

Departed rio de janeiro at night. Captain became ill during cruise (3 man crew on widebody transport). He had to lie down in bunk. We had passed area of severe WX north of rio, expected him to get well after a few mins, however he stayed sick for several hours. Not much in way of airports. Kept flying north, figured he'd get up. At the very least we could land in san juan. Didn't want to return to rio and go through severe WX, etc. I am an 'over 60' x-wdb captain, now so. Sat in left seat during cruise (verified waypoints, helped with radios) and also sat at so panel to control system (mostly fuel, etc). Checked on captain near san juan. He was feeling better (somewhat) and he got up and returned to seat to jfk. First officer flew and made landing. Captain was fine after passing bermuda. Flight attendants visited cockpit on occasion and noticed the situation. Did not seem to upset them. Suggestion: have a relief pilot on board for a 9:30 hour flight like this at night. It was (and still is) my judgement that I was better able to help in the left seat, especially in an area of poor communications, language problems, etc, than staying only at the so's panel. We did not know that the captain would stay sick so long.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE CAPT OF AN ACR WDB GOT SICK ENRTE. THE SO SAT IN HIS SEAT WHILE THE CAPT WENT TO THE BUNK. THE TRIP CONTINUED ON TO ITS SCHEDULED DEST.

Narrative: DEPARTED RIO DE JANEIRO AT NIGHT. CAPT BECAME ILL DURING CRUISE (3 MAN CREW ON WDB). HE HAD TO LIE DOWN IN BUNK. WE HAD PASSED AREA OF SEVERE WX N OF RIO, EXPECTED HIM TO GET WELL AFTER A FEW MINS, HOWEVER HE STAYED SICK FOR SEVERAL HRS. NOT MUCH IN WAY OF ARPTS. KEPT FLYING N, FIGURED HE'D GET UP. AT THE VERY LEAST WE COULD LAND IN SAN JUAN. DIDN'T WANT TO RETURN TO RIO AND GO THROUGH SEVERE WX, ETC. I AM AN 'OVER 60' X-WDB CAPT, NOW SO. SAT IN L SEAT DURING CRUISE (VERIFIED WAYPOINTS, HELPED WITH RADIOS) AND ALSO SAT AT SO PANEL TO CTL SYS (MOSTLY FUEL, ETC). CHKED ON CAPT NEAR SAN JUAN. HE WAS FEELING BETTER (SOMEWHAT) AND HE GOT UP AND RETURNED TO SEAT TO JFK. FO FLEW AND MADE LNDG. CAPT WAS FINE AFTER PASSING BERMUDA. FLT ATTENDANTS VISITED COCKPIT ON OCCASION AND NOTICED THE SIT. DID NOT SEEM TO UPSET THEM. SUGGESTION: HAVE A RELIEF PLT ON BOARD FOR A 9:30 HR FLT LIKE THIS AT NIGHT. IT WAS (AND STILL IS) MY JUDGEMENT THAT I WAS BETTER ABLE TO HELP IN THE L SEAT, ESPECIALLY IN AN AREA OF POOR COMS, LANGUAGE PROBS, ETC, THAN STAYING ONLY AT THE SO'S PANEL. WE DID NOT KNOW THAT THE CAPT WOULD STAY SICK SO LONG.

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.