Passenger illness, flight crew declares emergency, diverts.

Attributes
ACN	550475
Time
Date	200206
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smf.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mcc.tracon tower : smf.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 6700
ASRS Report	550475
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 11300 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	550690
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness maintenance problem : improper documentation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

35 mi east of sacramento, I was informed by the flight attendants that a female passenger had stopped breathing and they were performing cpr on her. I was 105 mi from reno, so I decided to divert to the closest airport, sacramento. We had an uneventful landing and the paramedics met the aircraft. The lady had been revived and was taken off the aircraft by ground personnel/paramedics. The flight attendants told me they had used a partial bottle of oxygen and I told them to put it in the overhead and it would have to be replaced at a maintenance base later. I failed to make a logbook entry or inform dispatch that we had used an oxygen bottle. I was concerned at the time with getting the aircraft to the destination and also distraction with the passenger insisting to return to the aircraft for the flight to reno. I had told ground operations that I was not going to take her, but there was still a lot of activity between operations, emt's and medlink doctors. We finally pushed from the gate for reno, I knew we were legal to fly with the oxygen bottle we had on board, but did not think about the logbook entry until I got to my hotel later. I informed the chief pilot on duty by phone of situation, called dispatch and maintenance control and they said they would have the logbook entry made at the next station the aircraft went through and the bottle would be replaced later in the day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX ILLNESS, FLC DECLARES EMER, DIVERTS.

Narrative: 35 MI E OF SACRAMENTO, I WAS INFORMED BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT A FEMALE PAX HAD STOPPED BREATHING AND THEY WERE PERFORMING CPR ON HER. I WAS 105 MI FROM RENO, SO I DECIDED TO DIVERT TO THE CLOSEST ARPT, SACRAMENTO. WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND THE PARAMEDICS MET THE ACFT. THE LADY HAD BEEN REVIVED AND WAS TAKEN OFF THE ACFT BY GND PERSONNEL/PARAMEDICS. THE FLT ATTENDANTS TOLD ME THEY HAD USED A PARTIAL BOTTLE OF OXYGEN AND I TOLD THEM TO PUT IT IN THE OVERHEAD AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A MAINT BASE LATER. I FAILED TO MAKE A LOGBOOK ENTRY OR INFORM DISPATCH THAT WE HAD USED AN OXYGEN BOTTLE. I WAS CONCERNED AT THE TIME WITH GETTING THE ACFT TO THE DEST AND ALSO DISTR WITH THE PAX INSISTING TO RETURN TO THE ACFT FOR THE FLT TO RENO. I HAD TOLD GND OPS THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO TAKE HER, BUT THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF ACTIVITY BTWN OPS, EMT'S AND MEDLINK DOCTORS. WE FINALLY PUSHED FROM THE GATE FOR RENO, I KNEW WE WERE LEGAL TO FLY WITH THE OXYGEN BOTTLE WE HAD ON BOARD, BUT DID NOT THINK ABOUT THE LOGBOOK ENTRY UNTIL I GOT TO MY HOTEL LATER. I INFORMED THE CHIEF PLT ON DUTY BY PHONE OF SIT, CALLED DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE THE LOGBOOK ENTRY MADE AT THE NEXT STATION THE ACFT WENT THROUGH AND THE BOTTLE WOULD BE REPLACED LATER IN THE DAY.

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.