Narrative:

During flight, I became ill with nausea, vomiting, and hot and cold sweats. I woke up at XA00 for my trip with a slight headache in the area of the sinuses. The headache became steadily worse throughout the morning during sign-in, departure, and the climb to cruise altitude. Approximately 1 hour after departure, I started to feel hot and nauseous. At this time I called the #1 flight attendant to the cockpit and explained to her and the first officer that I was feeling sick to my stomach and suffering from a headache. I stated my intention to continue to destination and if not feeling better soon to inform dispatch so that I could be removed from the balance of the sequence on arrival at dfw. The #1 flight attendant acknowledged that I looked 'awful' and proceeded to bring me cold wash cloths, a pillow, etc. I turned over the PF duties to the first officer, who from this point until in contact with approach control controled the aircraft and talked on the radio. I asked the #1 flight attendant if we had any deadheading pilots on board and to discreetly inquire on the non revenues if any of them were cockpit crew members and if so, what equipment and position they were qualified in. The #1 flight attendant returned to report that there were no deadheading or non revenuing cockpit crew members on board. I explained to the first officer that I felt in my present condition, and considering the destination WX, that it was at least as safe to continue to dfw as to divert to a station along the route. I felt that with his relatively limited experience (approximately 500 hours in type) that he probably would be more comfortable at a station he was familiar with, and I didn't feel my physical condition was in any way critical. We discussed the fact that I would have to taxi the airplane after landing and briefly considered the possibility of having the airplane towed if necessary. We decided in my present state that I could taxi the aircraft safely, however, we would if necessary request from ATC a runway with a short taxi to the terminal if so needed on arrival. About this time (approximately 1 hour from destination) I went back to the first class lavatory and vomited. I returned to the cockpit and discussed the STAR with the first officer, discussing appropriate crossing altitudes and airspds. Next, I informed dispatch of the situation via voice radio and requested that I be removed from the sequence upon arrival at dfw. I began to feel better as we began the descent and I assumed all the PNF duties by the time we contacted regional approach. We were given runway 35R, which we accepted, as at this point I was beginning to feel much better and were certain a short taxi wouldn't be required. The first officer flew a very nice ILS approach in VMC to a textbook touchdown and rollout. I took over control of the airplane on rollout, exited the runway and taxied to the gate. This probationary first officer, while new to air carrier, is a retired military pilot whose experience and strong situational awareness showed throughout the flight. He did an excellent job of taking up the slack for a sick captain. He balanced the PNF and PF duties nicely. The #1 flight attendant was both kind and concerned. She was highly professional -- responding immediately and changing her priorities to assist the cockpit when caught in the midst of her cabin service. All in all, the crew worked very well together. Clear communication, discussion of options, development of concise plan went a long way towards keeping a bad situation from becoming far worse. I was highly pleased with the performance of this crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A SUPER MD80 BECAME ILL DURING FLT AND ARRANGED WITH FO TO FLY THE ACFT WITH HIM DOING THE FO DUTIES.

Narrative: DURING FLT, I BECAME ILL WITH NAUSEA, VOMITING, AND HOT AND COLD SWEATS. I WOKE UP AT XA00 FOR MY TRIP WITH A SLIGHT HEADACHE IN THE AREA OF THE SINUSES. THE HEADACHE BECAME STEADILY WORSE THROUGHOUT THE MORNING DURING SIGN-IN, DEP, AND THE CLB TO CRUISE ALT. APPROX 1 HR AFTER DEP, I STARTED TO FEEL HOT AND NAUSEOUS. AT THIS TIME I CALLED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TO THE COCKPIT AND EXPLAINED TO HER AND THE FO THAT I WAS FEELING SICK TO MY STOMACH AND SUFFERING FROM A HEADACHE. I STATED MY INTENTION TO CONTINUE TO DEST AND IF NOT FEELING BETTER SOON TO INFORM DISPATCH SO THAT I COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE BAL OF THE SEQUENCE ON ARR AT DFW. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I LOOKED 'AWFUL' AND PROCEEDED TO BRING ME COLD WASH CLOTHS, A PILLOW, ETC. I TURNED OVER THE PF DUTIES TO THE FO, WHO FROM THIS POINT UNTIL IN CONTACT WITH APCH CTL CTLED THE ACFT AND TALKED ON THE RADIO. I ASKED THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT IF WE HAD ANY DEADHEADING PLTS ON BOARD AND TO DISCREETLY INQUIRE ON THE NON REVENUES IF ANY OF THEM WERE COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS AND IF SO, WHAT EQUIP AND POS THEY WERE QUALIFIED IN. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT RETURNED TO RPT THAT THERE WERE NO DEADHEADING OR NON REVENUING COCKPIT CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD. I EXPLAINED TO THE FO THAT I FELT IN MY PRESENT CONDITION, AND CONSIDERING THE DEST WX, THAT IT WAS AT LEAST AS SAFE TO CONTINUE TO DFW AS TO DIVERT TO A STATION ALONG THE RTE. I FELT THAT WITH HIS RELATIVELY LIMITED EXPERIENCE (APPROX 500 HRS IN TYPE) THAT HE PROBABLY WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE AT A STATION HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH, AND I DIDN'T FEEL MY PHYSICAL CONDITION WAS IN ANY WAY CRITICAL. WE DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TAXI THE AIRPLANE AFTER LNDG AND BRIEFLY CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING THE AIRPLANE TOWED IF NECESSARY. WE DECIDED IN MY PRESENT STATE THAT I COULD TAXI THE ACFT SAFELY, HOWEVER, WE WOULD IF NECESSARY REQUEST FROM ATC A RWY WITH A SHORT TAXI TO THE TERMINAL IF SO NEEDED ON ARR. ABOUT THIS TIME (APPROX 1 HR FROM DEST) I WENT BACK TO THE FIRST CLASS LAVATORY AND VOMITED. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND DISCUSSED THE STAR WITH THE FO, DISCUSSING APPROPRIATE XING ALTS AND AIRSPDS. NEXT, I INFORMED DISPATCH OF THE SIT VIA VOICE RADIO AND REQUESTED THAT I BE REMOVED FROM THE SEQUENCE UPON ARR AT DFW. I BEGAN TO FEEL BETTER AS WE BEGAN THE DSCNT AND I ASSUMED ALL THE PNF DUTIES BY THE TIME WE CONTACTED REGIONAL APCH. WE WERE GIVEN RWY 35R, WHICH WE ACCEPTED, AS AT THIS POINT I WAS BEGINNING TO FEEL MUCH BETTER AND WERE CERTAIN A SHORT TAXI WOULDN'T BE REQUIRED. THE FO FLEW A VERY NICE ILS APCH IN VMC TO A TEXTBOOK TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT. I TOOK OVER CTL OF THE AIRPLANE ON ROLLOUT, EXITED THE RWY AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. THIS PROBATIONARY FO, WHILE NEW TO ACR, IS A RETIRED MIL PLT WHOSE EXPERIENCE AND STRONG SITUATIONAL AWARENESS SHOWED THROUGHOUT THE FLT. HE DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF TAKING UP THE SLACK FOR A SICK CAPT. HE BALANCED THE PNF AND PF DUTIES NICELY. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WAS BOTH KIND AND CONCERNED. SHE WAS HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL -- RESPONDING IMMEDIATELY AND CHANGING HER PRIORITIES TO ASSIST THE COCKPIT WHEN CAUGHT IN THE MIDST OF HER CABIN SVC. ALL IN ALL, THE CREW WORKED VERY WELL TOGETHER. CLR COM, DISCUSSION OF OPTIONS, DEVELOPMENT OF CONCISE PLAN WENT A LONG WAY TOWARDS KEEPING A BAD SIT FROM BECOMING FAR WORSE. I WAS HIGHLY PLEASED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS CREW.

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.