Narrative:

Southwest pueblo, co, informed of very sick passenger. Passenger vomiting complaining of severe chest pain and left arm numbness. Physician paged, none responded. Flight attendant evaluation was he looks very bad. Declared emergency and diverted to den. Excellent handling by ATC and denver airport and den personnel. Paramedics transported passenger to hospital. Long delay anticipated due in-flight AC and dc ground service bus failure. Den services mechanics did not have manuals or experience with DC10. I was informed by a paramedic that passenger had apparently vomited and hyperventilated. We received no official diagnosis from hospital. Passenger was a foreign national traveling on a passport. When time came to depart we requested verification that passenger's luggage had been removed. Captain requested removal of checked bag and den personnel moved to comply reporting a 20 min delay to do so. Company called the captain and spent much of the approximately 15 mins it took to remove the bag demanding that he depart with it on board. Captain reported the pressure as heavy. I felt the bag should be removed for safety reasons as the foreign situation was escalating and based on the paramedics informal report the symptoms could have been self induced. Also the passenger would likely have something he needed in the bag like medication. Den personnel are to be commended for their safe expeditious and professional handling of the whole situation. After the bag was removed we had an uneventful flight to lax.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A DC10 DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER AND DIVERTED TO LAND FOR THE PURPOSE OF GETTING MEDICAL ATTN FOR AN ILL PAX. FLC REQUESTS REMOVAL OF SICK PAX'S LUGGAGE FOR SECURITY AND HUMANITARIAN REASONS.

Narrative: SW PUEBLO, CO, INFORMED OF VERY SICK PAX. PAX VOMITING COMPLAINING OF SEVERE CHEST PAIN AND L ARM NUMBNESS. PHYSICIAN PAGED, NONE RESPONDED. FLT ATTENDANT EVALUATION WAS HE LOOKS VERY BAD. DECLARED EMER AND DIVERTED TO DEN. EXCELLENT HANDLING BY ATC AND DENVER ARPT AND DEN PERSONNEL. PARAMEDICS TRANSPORTED PAX TO HOSPITAL. LONG DELAY ANTICIPATED DUE INFLT AC AND DC GND SVC BUS FAILURE. DEN SVCS MECHS DID NOT HAVE MANUALS OR EXPERIENCE WITH DC10. I WAS INFORMED BY A PARAMEDIC THAT PAX HAD APPARENTLY VOMITED AND HYPERVENTILATED. WE RECEIVED NO OFFICIAL DIAGNOSIS FROM HOSPITAL. PAX WAS A FOREIGN NATIONAL TRAVELING ON A PASSPORT. WHEN TIME CAME TO DEPART WE REQUESTED VERIFICATION THAT PAX'S LUGGAGE HAD BEEN REMOVED. CAPT REQUESTED REMOVAL OF CHKED BAG AND DEN PERSONNEL MOVED TO COMPLY RPTING A 20 MIN DELAY TO DO SO. COMPANY CALLED THE CAPT AND SPENT MUCH OF THE APPROX 15 MINS IT TOOK TO REMOVE THE BAG DEMANDING THAT HE DEPART WITH IT ON BOARD. CAPT RPTED THE PRESSURE AS HVY. I FELT THE BAG SHOULD BE REMOVED FOR SAFETY REASONS AS THE FOREIGN SIT WAS ESCALATING AND BASED ON THE PARAMEDICS INFORMAL RPT THE SYMPTOMS COULD HAVE BEEN SELF INDUCED. ALSO THE PAX WOULD LIKELY HAVE SOMETHING HE NEEDED IN THE BAG LIKE MEDICATION. DEN PERSONNEL ARE TO BE COMMENDED FOR THEIR SAFE EXPEDITIOUS AND PROFESSIONAL HANDLING OF THE WHOLE SIT. AFTER THE BAG WAS REMOVED WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO LAX.

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.