Narrative:

Prior to leaving hotel, captain mentioned he was feeling ill and thought he had eaten something bad. We were a crew of 4 pilots. I was the first officer on the B777 and we had 2 relief pilots for the scheduled 12 hour 30 min flight. I suggested to the captain that he call in sick and we cancel the flight. He insisted that he was well enough to fly and wanted to get the passenger, crew, and airplane to their destination. However, about 3 hours into the flight, while at a cruise altitude of FL330, captain said he was feeling very ill and had severe abdominal pain. The lead flight attendant found 2 medical doctors, who were passenger and willing to check the captain. They used the onboard emergency medical kit and decided that there was a very good possibility that the captain had appendicitis and that we should make a precautionary landing as soon as possible, as his appendix could burst. One of the relief pilots sat in the captain's seat, and the other relief pilot worked with the doctors and also helped to contact company dispatch. With dispatcher's concurrence we agreed to divert to london gatwick (lgw) airport, which was only 30 mins from our present position. We had to jettison 85000 pounds of fuel so as not to exceed maximum landing weight. We asked french ATC for clearance to lgw and a place to jettison fuel. We asked for expeditious handling due to a medical emergency. We landed uneventfully and had an ambulance waiting to rush the captain to hospital. The hospital determined that the captain had severe food poisoning and not appendicitis. 280 passenger were inconvenienced. Moral of the story: do not fly an airplane when feeling ill. The captain's medical certificate was suspended due to the incident being an NTSB reportable incident, as a flight crew member was incapacitated in-flight. Crew members should try and eat different meals than each other whenever possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT ON B777 BECAME ILL RESULTING IN AN ENRTE DIVERSION FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

Narrative: PRIOR TO LEAVING HOTEL, CAPT MENTIONED HE WAS FEELING ILL AND THOUGHT HE HAD EATEN SOMETHING BAD. WE WERE A CREW OF 4 PLTS. I WAS THE FO ON THE B777 AND WE HAD 2 RELIEF PLTS FOR THE SCHEDULED 12 HR 30 MIN FLT. I SUGGESTED TO THE CAPT THAT HE CALL IN SICK AND WE CANCEL THE FLT. HE INSISTED THAT HE WAS WELL ENOUGH TO FLY AND WANTED TO GET THE PAX, CREW, AND AIRPLANE TO THEIR DEST. HOWEVER, ABOUT 3 HRS INTO THE FLT, WHILE AT A CRUISE ALT OF FL330, CAPT SAID HE WAS FEELING VERY ILL AND HAD SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAIN. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT FOUND 2 MEDICAL DOCTORS, WHO WERE PAX AND WILLING TO CHK THE CAPT. THEY USED THE ONBOARD EMER MEDICAL KIT AND DECIDED THAT THERE WAS A VERY GOOD POSSIBILITY THAT THE CAPT HAD APPENDICITIS AND THAT WE SHOULD MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ASAP, AS HIS APPENDIX COULD BURST. ONE OF THE RELIEF PLTS SAT IN THE CAPT'S SEAT, AND THE OTHER RELIEF PLT WORKED WITH THE DOCTORS AND ALSO HELPED TO CONTACT COMPANY DISPATCH. WITH DISPATCHER'S CONCURRENCE WE AGREED TO DIVERT TO LONDON GATWICK (LGW) ARPT, WHICH WAS ONLY 30 MINS FROM OUR PRESENT POS. WE HAD TO JETTISON 85000 LBS OF FUEL SO AS NOT TO EXCEED MAX LNDG WT. WE ASKED FRENCH ATC FOR CLRNC TO LGW AND A PLACE TO JETTISON FUEL. WE ASKED FOR EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING DUE TO A MEDICAL EMER. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND HAD AN AMBULANCE WAITING TO RUSH THE CAPT TO HOSPITAL. THE HOSPITAL DETERMINED THAT THE CAPT HAD SEVERE FOOD POISONING AND NOT APPENDICITIS. 280 PAX WERE INCONVENIENCED. MORAL OF THE STORY: DO NOT FLY AN AIRPLANE WHEN FEELING ILL. THE CAPT'S MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WAS SUSPENDED DUE TO THE INCIDENT BEING AN NTSB REPORTABLE INCIDENT, AS A FLC MEMBER WAS INCAPACITATED INFLT. CREW MEMBERS SHOULD TRY AND EAT DIFFERENT MEALS THAN EACH OTHER WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

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.