Narrative:

On takeoff from cmh, the cockpit was notified of a medical emergency in the cabin. The 'C' flight attendant came forward into the cockpit about 1500 ft AGL and notified us that the passenger in 4C was possibly having a heart attack. He could not talk, turning blue, ashen, and clutching his chest. We had just switched to departure control. I immediately told the first officer to declare an emergency and tell them we are VFR and switching to tower. He told departure we were declaring a medical emergency and returning to the field. We switched back to cmh tower and proceeded on a VFR downwind to runway 28L. We had the tower contact the paramedics to meet us. We contacted air carrier operations and were assigned gate. We notified ATC of our arrival gate. We completed the before landing checklist and prepared for an overweight landing. Our weight was approximately 124000 pounds and maximum landing (normal) 114000. We had over a 10000 plus ft runway -- no problem with landing distance. The landing and taxi to the gate was uneventful. Air carrier personnel were there to meet us. The fire department showed up about 4-5 min after we got to the gate. The paramedics didn't arrive until 10 min after we got to the gate. This was approximately 20 min after we had declared the emergency. To our surprise the fire department personnel were not paramedics. The flight attendant's were able to obtain assistance from a medical nurse onboard the aircraft. The passenger was removed from the aircraft and appeared to be doing okay. In this event everything worked like a swiss watch. My first officer performed very professionally. The flight attendant worked fast and efficiently also. Upon review of the whole situation I feel the flight crew might think about taking more time in the air. There is no reason to rush to get on the ground to wait at the gate for medical people to arrive. One of the reasons I was somewhat primed for an emergency return once notified by the flight attendant, was the fact I had been talking with this passenger during boarding and was aware he was just released from the hospital after suffering from a heart attack.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX MEDICAL EMER DECLARED. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: ON TKOF FROM CMH, THE COCKPIT WAS NOTIFIED OF A MEDICAL EMER IN THE CABIN. THE 'C' FLT ATTENDANT CAME FORWARD INTO THE COCKPIT ABOUT 1500 FT AGL AND NOTIFIED US THAT THE PAX IN 4C WAS POSSIBLY HAVING A HEART ATTACK. HE COULD NOT TALK, TURNING BLUE, ASHEN, AND CLUTCHING HIS CHEST. WE HAD JUST SWITCHED TO DEP CTL. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE FO TO DECLARE AN EMER AND TELL THEM WE ARE VFR AND SWITCHING TO TWR. HE TOLD DEP WE WERE DECLARING A MEDICAL EMER AND RETURNING TO THE FIELD. WE SWITCHED BACK TO CMH TWR AND PROCEEDED ON A VFR DOWNWIND TO RWY 28L. WE HAD THE TWR CONTACT THE PARAMEDICS TO MEET US. WE CONTACTED ACR OPS AND WERE ASSIGNED GATE. WE NOTIFIED ATC OF OUR ARR GATE. WE COMPLETED THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST AND PREPARED FOR AN OVERWT LNDG. OUR WT WAS APPROX 124000 LBS AND MAX LNDG (NORMAL) 114000. WE HAD OVER A 10000 PLUS FT RWY -- NO PROB WITH LNDG DISTANCE. THE LNDG AND TAXI TO THE GATE WAS UNEVENTFUL. ACR PERSONNEL WERE THERE TO MEET US. THE FIRE DEPT SHOWED UP ABOUT 4-5 MIN AFTER WE GOT TO THE GATE. THE PARAMEDICS DIDN'T ARRIVE UNTIL 10 MIN AFTER WE GOT TO THE GATE. THIS WAS APPROX 20 MIN AFTER WE HAD DECLARED THE EMER. TO OUR SURPRISE THE FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL WERE NOT PARAMEDICS. THE FLT ATTENDANT'S WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN ASSISTANCE FROM A MEDICAL NURSE ONBOARD THE ACFT. THE PAX WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT AND APPEARED TO BE DOING OKAY. IN THIS EVENT EVERYTHING WORKED LIKE A SWISS WATCH. MY FO PERFORMED VERY PROFESSIONALLY. THE FLT ATTENDANT WORKED FAST AND EFFICIENTLY ALSO. UPON REVIEW OF THE WHOLE SIT I FEEL THE FLC MIGHT THINK ABOUT TAKING MORE TIME IN THE AIR. THERE IS NO REASON TO RUSH TO GET ON THE GND TO WAIT AT THE GATE FOR MEDICAL PEOPLE TO ARRIVE. ONE OF THE REASONS I WAS SOMEWHAT PRIMED FOR AN EMER RETURN ONCE NOTIFIED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT, WAS THE FACT I HAD BEEN TALKING WITH THIS PAX DURING BOARDING AND WAS AWARE HE WAS JUST RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AFTER SUFFERING FROM A HEART ATTACK.

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.