Narrative:

I was a deadheading crew member on a company flight. In cruise I was informed by a working flight attendant the captain of the flight was not feeling well and requested any deadheading flight officers come to the cockpit. We went to the cockpit and I met captain X. He asked me to observe the flight deck operation and back him up. I agreed and asked to leave for a moment to visit the 'blue room.' I returned to the flight deck where captain X asked me to take his seat. I occupied his seat and the flying first officer briefed the remainder of the flight. The nature of our flight status was passed to ATC and company dispatch. The captain's status deteriorated and he was being attended to by 2 doctor passenger, flight attendants and another deadheading pilot. The doctors felt we should expedite our arrival due to the captain's condition. We coordinated ground support at ord through ATC and dispatch. We received expedited handling through center, approach, and tower. The first officer thoroughly briefed the descent, approach, landing, and taxiing with the 2 deadheading pilots. We landed, taxied to the gate, secured the aircraft, and medical personnel gave further care to captain X. We followed flight operations manual, SOP, and company procedures, used ATC and company resources (as necessary) to successfully complete the flight. Supplemental information from acn 418552: captain X had been complaining of stomach upset since shortly after departure from sfo. He complained of continued stomach upset, numb lips, cold hands and thirst. He had no chest or arm pain and no shortness of breath. Msp center offered us our choice of delays, so I asked that we be given priority handling explaining that we had a developing medical situation with crew member. I also contacted chief purser and asked that she check her manifest for any deadheading flight officers and have them come to the cockpit. Captain X reported that he was feeling worse and he desired to leave the seat and occupy the crew rest seat. I elected to have deadheading captain Y situation in the left seat and assume the PNF duties. Deadheading captain Y is type rated in the 400, but not current. I observed that captain X appeared very uncomfortable and had his right hand on his chest. I asked so to check on his condition and simultaneously called chief purser requesting that she page for a medical doctor and bring any volunteers to the cockpit immediately. Two doctors responded. Captain X was removed to the bunk room. The doctors stated that they felt captain X was having a heart attack and that we should land as soon as possible. At that point we were approximately 37 mins from touchdown in ord. Captain Y was in contact with dispatch and asked if they could coordination a runway 14R straight in approach while I made the same request through center. I felt this would shave off approximately 5 mins. We had coordination with ATC to have txwys T7, A7 and a clear so we could expedite to the gate. I taxied the aircraft to the lead in line, then turned control over to captain Y, who completed parking. Captain Y is current on the B777, but not the B747-400. Parking guidance is accurate only from the left seat. To expedite arrival, I felt it prudent to torn over parking to captain Y, instead of stopping to switch seats. Landing at a closer airport may have put us on the ground 5 - 7 mins earlier, but I didn't know if rfd has the airstair equipment that would reach the door of the 400. This would have slowed down medical assistance for captain X.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MEDICAL EMER WAS DECLARED AT FL370 NEAR ONL, NE, WHEN THE CAPT OF A B747-400 FALLS ILL WITH SYMPTOMS OF A HEART ATTACK. DEADHEADING CREW MEMBERS FILL IN FOR THE LNDG AT ORD.

Narrative: I WAS A DEADHEADING CREW MEMBER ON A COMPANY FLT. IN CRUISE I WAS INFORMED BY A WORKING FLT ATTENDANT THE CAPT OF THE FLT WAS NOT FEELING WELL AND REQUESTED ANY DEADHEADING FLT OFFICERS COME TO THE COCKPIT. WE WENT TO THE COCKPIT AND I MET CAPT X. HE ASKED ME TO OBSERVE THE FLT DECK OP AND BACK HIM UP. I AGREED AND ASKED TO LEAVE FOR A MOMENT TO VISIT THE 'BLUE ROOM.' I RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK WHERE CAPT X ASKED ME TO TAKE HIS SEAT. I OCCUPIED HIS SEAT AND THE FLYING FO BRIEFED THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. THE NATURE OF OUR FLT STATUS WAS PASSED TO ATC AND COMPANY DISPATCH. THE CAPT'S STATUS DETERIORATED AND HE WAS BEING ATTENDED TO BY 2 DOCTOR PAX, FLT ATTENDANTS AND ANOTHER DEADHEADING PLT. THE DOCTORS FELT WE SHOULD EXPEDITE OUR ARR DUE TO THE CAPT'S CONDITION. WE COORDINATED GND SUPPORT AT ORD THROUGH ATC AND DISPATCH. WE RECEIVED EXPEDITED HANDLING THROUGH CTR, APCH, AND TWR. THE FO THOROUGHLY BRIEFED THE DSCNT, APCH, LNDG, AND TAXIING WITH THE 2 DEADHEADING PLTS. WE LANDED, TAXIED TO THE GATE, SECURED THE ACFT, AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL GAVE FURTHER CARE TO CAPT X. WE FOLLOWED FLT OPS MANUAL, SOP, AND COMPANY PROCS, USED ATC AND COMPANY RESOURCES (AS NECESSARY) TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 418552: CAPT X HAD BEEN COMPLAINING OF STOMACH UPSET SINCE SHORTLY AFTER DEP FROM SFO. HE COMPLAINED OF CONTINUED STOMACH UPSET, NUMB LIPS, COLD HANDS AND THIRST. HE HAD NO CHEST OR ARM PAIN AND NO SHORTNESS OF BREATH. MSP CENTER OFFERED US OUR CHOICE OF DELAYS, SO I ASKED THAT WE BE GIVEN PRIORITY HANDLING EXPLAINING THAT WE HAD A DEVELOPING MEDICAL SIT WITH CREW MEMBER. I ALSO CONTACTED CHIEF PURSER AND ASKED THAT SHE CHECK HER MANIFEST FOR ANY DEADHEADING FLT OFFICERS AND HAVE THEM COME TO THE COCKPIT. CAPT X REPORTED THAT HE WAS FEELING WORSE AND HE DESIRED TO LEAVE THE SEAT AND OCCUPY THE CREW REST SEAT. I ELECTED TO HAVE DEADHEADING CAPT Y SIT IN THE L SEAT AND ASSUME THE PNF DUTIES. DEADHEADING CAPT Y IS TYPE RATED IN THE 400, BUT NOT CURRENT. I OBSERVED THAT CAPT X APPEARED VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND HAD HIS R HAND ON HIS CHEST. I ASKED SO TO CHK ON HIS CONDITION AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CALLED CHIEF PURSER REQUESTING THAT SHE PAGE FOR A MEDICAL DOCTOR AND BRING ANY VOLUNTEERS TO THE COCKPIT IMMEDIATELY. TWO DOCTORS RESPONDED. CAPT X WAS REMOVED TO THE BUNK ROOM. THE DOCTORS STATED THAT THEY FELT CAPT X WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK AND THAT WE SHOULD LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AT THAT POINT WE WERE APPROX 37 MINS FROM TOUCHDOWN IN ORD. CAPT Y WAS IN CONTACT WITH DISPATCH AND ASKED IF THEY COULD COORD A RWY 14R STRAIGHT IN APCH WHILE I MADE THE SAME REQUEST THROUGH CTR. I FELT THIS WOULD SHAVE OFF APPROX 5 MINS. WE HAD COORD WITH ATC TO HAVE TXWYS T7, A7 AND A CLR SO WE COULD EXPEDITE TO THE GATE. I TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE LEAD IN LINE, THEN TURNED CTL OVER TO CAPT Y, WHO COMPLETED PARKING. CAPT Y IS CURRENT ON THE B777, BUT NOT THE B747-400. PARKING GUIDANCE IS ACCURATE ONLY FROM THE L SEAT. TO EXPEDITE ARR, I FELT IT PRUDENT TO TORN OVER PARKING TO CAPT Y, INSTEAD OF STOPPING TO SWITCH SEATS. LNDG AT A CLOSER ARPT MAY HAVE PUT US ON THE GND 5 - 7 MINS EARLIER, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF RFD HAS THE AIRSTAIR EQUIP THAT WOULD REACH THE DOOR OF THE 400. THIS WOULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR CAPT X.

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.