Narrative:

I am a female 5 1/2 months pregnant. I was flying as PIC on a flight from san francisco to seattle. We were at the top of descent when my water broke, which can bring on the first stages of labor. There was another qualified captain (who is employed by our airline) onboard. I asked her to take over the aircraft and then laid down in the aft galley per the doctors on board. We had declared a medical emergency with ZSE and landed uneventfully in seattle (sea-tac airport). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: according to the captain, there is no far governing the length of time a pilot may fly while pregnant. The airline management policy limits their occupying the crew seat up to the end of their 7TH month of pregnancy. Captain had had no warning that this event was about to occur. There was a deadheading captain onboard that was still in uniform with her flight kit and still legal to fly the remaining portion of this flight. The original captain did not leave the seat until the first officer was briefed, ATC advised of the medical situation, dispatch notified as to the change of command and the new captain was able to take over. ATC gave the flight a vector direct to the airport with everyone's response being rated as excellent. There were 3 doctors onboard. One was very emphatic about her need to lie down immediately so as to stop the loss of fluid. The captain was interned for a short time, checked up and released to return home later. The baby was born prematurely just 10 days later and is in perfect health now.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PREGNANT FEMALE CAPT OF A B737-500 HAS A FAILURE OF HER WATER SAC DURING DSCNT AND HAS ANOTHER DEADHEADING FEMALE CAPT TAKE HER PLACE AFTER A MEDICAL EMER IS DECLARED WITH ZSE.

Narrative: I AM A FEMALE 5 1/2 MONTHS PREGNANT. I WAS FLYING AS PIC ON A FLT FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO SEATTLE. WE WERE AT THE TOP OF DSCNT WHEN MY WATER BROKE, WHICH CAN BRING ON THE FIRST STAGES OF LABOR. THERE WAS ANOTHER QUALIFIED CAPT (WHO IS EMPLOYED BY OUR AIRLINE) ONBOARD. I ASKED HER TO TAKE OVER THE ACFT AND THEN LAID DOWN IN THE AFT GALLEY PER THE DOCTORS ON BOARD. WE HAD DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER WITH ZSE AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY IN SEATTLE (SEA-TAC ARPT). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ACCORDING TO THE CAPT, THERE IS NO FAR GOVERNING THE LENGTH OF TIME A PLT MAY FLY WHILE PREGNANT. THE AIRLINE MGMNT POLICY LIMITS THEIR OCCUPYING THE CREW SEAT UP TO THE END OF THEIR 7TH MONTH OF PREGNANCY. CAPT HAD HAD NO WARNING THAT THIS EVENT WAS ABOUT TO OCCUR. THERE WAS A DEADHEADING CAPT ONBOARD THAT WAS STILL IN UNIFORM WITH HER FLT KIT AND STILL LEGAL TO FLY THE REMAINING PORTION OF THIS FLT. THE ORIGINAL CAPT DID NOT LEAVE THE SEAT UNTIL THE FO WAS BRIEFED, ATC ADVISED OF THE MEDICAL SIT, DISPATCH NOTIFIED AS TO THE CHANGE OF COMMAND AND THE NEW CAPT WAS ABLE TO TAKE OVER. ATC GAVE THE FLT A VECTOR DIRECT TO THE ARPT WITH EVERYONE'S RESPONSE BEING RATED AS EXCELLENT. THERE WERE 3 DOCTORS ONBOARD. ONE WAS VERY EMPHATIC ABOUT HER NEED TO LIE DOWN IMMEDIATELY SO AS TO STOP THE LOSS OF FLUID. THE CAPT WAS INTERNED FOR A SHORT TIME, CHKED UP AND RELEASED TO RETURN HOME LATER. THE BABY WAS BORN PREMATURELY JUST 10 DAYS LATER AND IS IN PERFECT HEALTH NOW.

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.