A B727-200 on descent for a passenger medical emergency exceeded the speed restr below 10000 ft.

Attributes
ACN	405329
Time
Date	199806
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dhp
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma tracon : mia
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	405329
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	405498
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other

Narrative:

After departing mia departure control had just handed us off to ZMA. Flight attendant called and advised that a passenger's heart was racing and was short of breath. We called center and declared that we had a medical emergency. They cleared us back to mia and handed us off to mia approach. We dumped fuel and landed without incident. The reason we are filing this report is that we exceeded 250 KTS below 10000 ft in order to land as quickly as possible. After thinking about it we were not sure if saying we had a medical emergency constituted the full declaration of an emergency allowing us to exceed the speed restr below 10000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 ON DSCNT FOR A PAX MEDICAL EMER EXCEEDED THE SPD RESTR BELOW 10000 FT.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING MIA DEP CTL HAD JUST HANDED US OFF TO ZMA. FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND ADVISED THAT A PAX'S HEART WAS RACING AND WAS SHORT OF BREATH. WE CALLED CTR AND DECLARED THAT WE HAD A MEDICAL EMER. THEY CLRED US BACK TO MIA AND HANDED US OFF TO MIA APCH. WE DUMPED FUEL AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE REASON WE ARE FILING THIS RPT IS THAT WE EXCEEDED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT IN ORDER TO LAND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT WE WERE NOT SURE IF SAYING WE HAD A MEDICAL EMER CONSTITUTED THE FULL DECLARATION OF AN EMER ALLOWING US TO EXCEED THE SPD RESTR BELOW 10000 FT.

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.