Narrative:

I was advised that a child passenger as having an epileptic seizure, and that the parents were requesting medical assistance upon landing in chicago. While coordinating this request with our company dispatcher, the child's seizure advanced to a 'grand mal' level with increasing breathing difficulties. I requested cleveland ATC to give us expedited handling into ord due to an on-board medical problem. At no time did I declare an emergency. ATC then cleared us direct to ord 22L (active landing runway). Within a very few mins, I was offered ord 27L and I accepted clearance direct to the wavie fix on the ord 27L approach with no speed restrictions. While passing through 12000 ft over lake michigan, I advised ord ATC that I was slowing down. ATC's response was 'speed and altitude at your discretion -- use any speed desired,' and they then cleared us direct to ord runway 27L. We crossed wavie at approximately 4000 ft MSL 320 KTS IAS, and then reduced speed to set up our landing confign. Touchdown and rollout was uneventful and we received immediate clearance to our gate where 2 paramedics removed the child to a waiting ambulance. Cleveland and chicago ATC's did an outstanding job of coordinating the handling of our flight. We were able to cut off about 20 mins of our remaining flight time and the epilepsy victim was able to receive prompt medical attention -- a critical factor in this event. The 250 KT speed limit below 10000 ft was broken in order to save a human life.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B-757 EXCEEDED AIRSPD LIMITATION BELOW 10000 IN ORDER TO RUSH MEDICAL HELP FOR A PAX. FLC REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING AND ATC ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO AIRSPD OR ALT RESTRICTIONS BY ATC.

Narrative: I WAS ADVISED THAT A CHILD PAX AS HAVING AN EPILEPTIC SEIZURE, AND THAT THE PARENTS WERE REQUESTING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE UPON LNDG IN CHICAGO. WHILE COORDINATING THIS REQUEST WITH OUR COMPANY DISPATCHER, THE CHILD'S SEIZURE ADVANCED TO A 'GRAND MAL' LEVEL WITH INCREASING BREATHING DIFFICULTIES. I REQUESTED CLEVELAND ATC TO GIVE US EXPEDITED HANDLING INTO ORD DUE TO AN ON-BOARD MEDICAL PROB. AT NO TIME DID I DECLARE AN EMER. ATC THEN CLRED US DIRECT TO ORD 22L (ACTIVE LNDG RWY). WITHIN A VERY FEW MINS, I WAS OFFERED ORD 27L AND I ACCEPTED CLRNC DIRECT TO THE WAVIE FIX ON THE ORD 27L APCH WITH NO SPD RESTRICTIONS. WHILE PASSING THROUGH 12000 FT OVER LAKE MICHIGAN, I ADVISED ORD ATC THAT I WAS SLOWING DOWN. ATC'S RESPONSE WAS 'SPD AND ALT AT YOUR DISCRETION -- USE ANY SPD DESIRED,' AND THEY THEN CLRED US DIRECT TO ORD RWY 27L. WE CROSSED WAVIE AT APPROX 4000 FT MSL 320 KTS IAS, AND THEN REDUCED SPD TO SET UP OUR LNDG CONFIGN. TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND WE RECEIVED IMMEDIATE CLRNC TO OUR GATE WHERE 2 PARAMEDICS REMOVED THE CHILD TO A WAITING AMBULANCE. CLEVELAND AND CHICAGO ATC'S DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF COORDINATING THE HANDLING OF OUR FLT. WE WERE ABLE TO CUT OFF ABOUT 20 MINS OF OUR REMAINING FLT TIME AND THE EPILEPSY VICTIM WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE PROMPT MEDICAL ATTN -- A CRITICAL FACTOR IN THIS EVENT. THE 250 KT SPD LIMIT BELOW 10000 FT WAS BROKEN IN ORDER TO SAVE A HUMAN LIFE.

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.