Flight crew of a MD80 declared an emergency to ARTCC due to an ill passenger.

Attributes
ACN	340962
Time
Date	199607
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j86
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : commercial pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	340962
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other

Narrative:

An in-flight medical emergency was declared to ZHU. They gave us an immediate vector to iah. All went well until switching to houston approach control. They immediately slowed us to 210 KIAS at 10000 ft MSL at approximately 40 DME from iah. I questioned this slow down and controller acknowledged that I was an emergency flight, but still required my slow down for traffic. He switched us to another frequency and this new controller had us slow to 190 KIAS at 7000 ft MSL at approximately 30 DME from iah. Then to make matters worse, after these slow down delays, the tower directed us to make a go around from short final because a landing aircraft in front of us had not yet cleared the runway at the end. Fortunately, these unnecessary delays did not cause loss of life with our unconscious passenger. Approach to iah was from the east. Initial approach and go around were to runway 26 at iah. Landing way made on runway 14C.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A MD80 DECLARED AN EMER TO ARTCC DUE TO AN ILL PAX.

Narrative: AN INFLT MEDICAL EMER WAS DECLARED TO ZHU. THEY GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR TO IAH. ALL WENT WELL UNTIL SWITCHING TO HOUSTON APCH CTL. THEY IMMEDIATELY SLOWED US TO 210 KIAS AT 10000 FT MSL AT APPROX 40 DME FROM IAH. I QUESTIONED THIS SLOW DOWN AND CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I WAS AN EMER FLT, BUT STILL REQUIRED MY SLOW DOWN FOR TFC. HE SWITCHED US TO ANOTHER FREQ AND THIS NEW CTLR HAD US SLOW TO 190 KIAS AT 7000 FT MSL AT APPROX 30 DME FROM IAH. THEN TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, AFTER THESE SLOW DOWN DELAYS, THE TWR DIRECTED US TO MAKE A GAR FROM SHORT FINAL BECAUSE A LNDG ACFT IN FRONT OF US HAD NOT YET CLRED THE RWY AT THE END. FORTUNATELY, THESE UNNECESSARY DELAYS DID NOT CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE WITH OUR UNCONSCIOUS PAX. APCH TO IAH WAS FROM THE E. INITIAL APCH AND GAR WERE TO RWY 26 AT IAH. LNDG WAY MADE ON RWY 14C.

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.