Narrative:

During climb out from tpa, passing FL240, the captain slumped over against the right armrest. I asked him on 2 occasions if he was ok, but did not receive an immediate response. I took full control of the aircraft, alerted the so and ATC, leveled the aircraft, and began a diversion to mco. While I was doing this, the captain came to, and his arms and legs began to jerk about. A few seconds later, he asked what had happened. The so explained to him what had transpired and instructed him to put his oxygen mask on and relax. He placed the mask on and sat for a few seconds, and then removed it. He said he was ok to continue, but as I had already made the decision to divert and seek medical assistance for the captain, we continued toward mco. The captain and I agreed on the xfer of control of the aircraft, and that he would not manipulate any controls. The so assisted me in communicating with the flight attendants, dispatcher, and flight control. He also read the checklists and computed crosswind component, while I flew the aircraft and made preparations for landing. We flew a visual approach as it was the most expeditious approach to runway 35 in mco. The so and I discussed the fact that the landing would be overweight, but this was acceptable under the circumstances. The subsequent landing was smooth and uneventful. We were towed to the gate. The overweight condition was noted in the logbook. Following shutdown, the captain exited the cockpit and met the waiting medics. After deplaning, the so and I were asked by medical personnel if the captain had eaten anything just prior to his incident. The only thing I recalled was that he had eaten some fruit from his lunch box prior to pushback.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF B727 DEPARTING TPA SLUMPED OVER AND WAS NOT RESPONSIVE. FO TOOK CTL AND DIVERTED TO MCO.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT FROM TPA, PASSING FL240, THE CAPT SLUMPED OVER AGAINST THE R ARMREST. I ASKED HIM ON 2 OCCASIONS IF HE WAS OK, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. I TOOK FULL CTL OF THE ACFT, ALERTED THE SO AND ATC, LEVELED THE ACFT, AND BEGAN A DIVERSION TO MCO. WHILE I WAS DOING THIS, THE CAPT CAME TO, AND HIS ARMS AND LEGS BEGAN TO JERK ABOUT. A FEW SECONDS LATER, HE ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE SO EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED AND INSTRUCTED HIM TO PUT HIS OXYGEN MASK ON AND RELAX. HE PLACED THE MASK ON AND SAT FOR A FEW SECONDS, AND THEN REMOVED IT. HE SAID HE WAS OK TO CONTINUE, BUT AS I HAD ALREADY MADE THE DECISION TO DIVERT AND SEEK MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE CAPT, WE CONTINUED TOWARD MCO. THE CAPT AND I AGREED ON THE XFER OF CTL OF THE ACFT, AND THAT HE WOULD NOT MANIPULATE ANY CTLS. THE SO ASSISTED ME IN COMMUNICATING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS, DISPATCHER, AND FLT CTL. HE ALSO READ THE CHKLISTS AND COMPUTED XWIND COMPONENT, WHILE I FLEW THE ACFT AND MADE PREPARATIONS FOR LNDG. WE FLEW A VISUAL APCH AS IT WAS THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS APCH TO RWY 35 IN MCO. THE SO AND I DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT THE LNDG WOULD BE OVERWT, BUT THIS WAS ACCEPTABLE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE SUBSEQUENT LNDG WAS SMOOTH AND UNEVENTFUL. WE WERE TOWED TO THE GATE. THE OVERWT CONDITION WAS NOTED IN THE LOGBOOK. FOLLOWING SHUTDOWN, THE CAPT EXITED THE COCKPIT AND MET THE WAITING MEDICS. AFTER DEPLANING, THE SO AND I WERE ASKED BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL IF THE CAPT HAD EATEN ANYTHING JUST PRIOR TO HIS INCIDENT. THE ONLY THING I RECALLED WAS THAT HE HAD EATEN SOME FRUIT FROM HIS LUNCH BOX PRIOR TO PUSHBACK.

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.