Narrative:

First officer was flying. Aircraft on autoplt. First officer told me he felt sick, asked me to take aircraft. He then grabbed trash bag to vomit into, leant forward and became unconscious. Being unable to arouse him, I declared an emergency for first officer incapacitation. Proceeded directly to airport. After approximately 3 mins, first officer regained consciousness and was lucid. Flight landed without incident, was met at gate by emt's. Approach control was totally cooperative, tower and ground control as well. I received all assistance necessary. Factors affecting quality of human performance: 1) obviously, first officer was incapacitated. 2) proximity to the airport prompted my decision to proceed directly to airport with emt's standing by, rather than try to administer to first officer in-flight. Primary reason for decision was that he was not turning blue, evidencing continued respiration. I felt that, in an environment below 10000 ft in close proximity to the airport, it was in the best interest of the safety of all not to have the distraction of having a flight attendant try to administer to him while I was trying to land the airplane alone, but to get the airplane to waiting emt's on the ground as quickly and safely as possible. 3) seeing a long time flying partner rendered unconscious without warning was a shocking experience. There was a feeling of conflict between wanting to do something immediately to help him, versus realizing professional help was mins away on the ground and the need to protect the safety of the passenger and other crew. Fortunately, he was ok, cause unknown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FO BECOMES UNCONSCIOUS WHILE ACTING AS PF 15 MI SE OF OBS, MA. CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDS ASAP.

Narrative: FO WAS FLYING. ACFT ON AUTOPLT. FO TOLD ME HE FELT SICK, ASKED ME TO TAKE ACFT. HE THEN GRABBED TRASH BAG TO VOMIT INTO, LEANT FORWARD AND BECAME UNCONSCIOUS. BEING UNABLE TO AROUSE HIM, I DECLARED AN EMER FOR FO INCAPACITATION. PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO ARPT. AFTER APPROX 3 MINS, FO REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS AND WAS LUCID. FLT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, WAS MET AT GATE BY EMT'S. APCH CTL WAS TOTALLY COOPERATIVE, TWR AND GND CTL AS WELL. I RECEIVED ALL ASSISTANCE NECESSARY. FACTORS AFFECTING QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE: 1) OBVIOUSLY, FO WAS INCAPACITATED. 2) PROX TO THE ARPT PROMPTED MY DECISION TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO ARPT WITH EMT'S STANDING BY, RATHER THAN TRY TO ADMINISTER TO FO INFLT. PRIMARY REASON FOR DECISION WAS THAT HE WAS NOT TURNING BLUE, EVIDENCING CONTINUED RESPIRATION. I FELT THAT, IN AN ENVIRONMENT BELOW 10000 FT IN CLOSE PROX TO THE ARPT, IT WAS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE SAFETY OF ALL NOT TO HAVE THE DISTR OF HAVING A FLT ATTENDANT TRY TO ADMINISTER TO HIM WHILE I WAS TRYING TO LAND THE AIRPLANE ALONE, BUT TO GET THE AIRPLANE TO WAITING EMT'S ON THE GND AS QUICKLY AND SAFELY AS POSSIBLE. 3) SEEING A LONG TIME FLYING PARTNER RENDERED UNCONSCIOUS WITHOUT WARNING WAS A SHOCKING EXPERIENCE. THERE WAS A FEELING OF CONFLICT BTWN WANTING TO DO SOMETHING IMMEDIATELY TO HELP HIM, VERSUS REALIZING PROFESSIONAL HELP WAS MINS AWAY ON THE GND AND THE NEED TO PROTECT THE SAFETY OF THE PAX AND OTHER CREW. FORTUNATELY, HE WAS OK, CAUSE UNKNOWN.

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.