Narrative:

Climbing through approximately FL250, while eating a crew meal, I began to feel some discomfort in my upper chest/throat area. I had just eaten a rolled up slice of turkey from the crew meal. I have had a similar feeling before. On prior occasions, if I stopped eating and relaxed, it would go away. The discomfort was mild and infrequent, not significant enough to mention to a doctor. This time the discomfort did not go away. It got worse and became a severe pain. The next thing I remember was asking what happened. Someone said that I passed out, and that we were diverting to orlando. The crew said that I had been slumped over for about 30 seconds and then flailed my arms for about 3 seconds as I started to wake up. We considered that I should remove myself from the seat, but decided to push my seat full back and put on my shoulder harness. I tried to lock it, but was unable to do so. I made a radio call or 2 in an effort to help and made a PA to the passenger. I acknowledged that the first officer was in charge of the aircraft. He asked me to look in the fom for guidance on crew member incapacitation. I looked it up and read it aloud to the crew. It said don't allow the incapacitated crew member to operate flight controls even if they feel ok. We followed the guidance. The first officer insisted on handling the radios and flying. I tried to back them up on altitude calls and checklist. It was hard to do nothing, but I knew I might not be 100%, even though I felt fine. We did an overweight landing in orlando and taxied to the gate area. I walked off the aircraft. I was examined by the emt's with no evident problems, but they recommended a more thorough check at a local hospital. The doctors determined that I probably had a spasm of the esophagus. A complete physical showed a hiatal hernia and slightly smaller than normal esophagus.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 DIVERTS DUE TO INCAPACITATED FLC MEMBER.

Narrative: CLBING THROUGH APPROX FL250, WHILE EATING A CREW MEAL, I BEGAN TO FEEL SOME DISCOMFORT IN MY UPPER CHEST/THROAT AREA. I HAD JUST EATEN A ROLLED UP SLICE OF TURKEY FROM THE CREW MEAL. I HAVE HAD A SIMILAR FEELING BEFORE. ON PRIOR OCCASIONS, IF I STOPPED EATING AND RELAXED, IT WOULD GO AWAY. THE DISCOMFORT WAS MILD AND INFREQUENT, NOT SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO MENTION TO A DOCTOR. THIS TIME THE DISCOMFORT DID NOT GO AWAY. IT GOT WORSE AND BECAME A SEVERE PAIN. THE NEXT THING I REMEMBER WAS ASKING WHAT HAPPENED. SOMEONE SAID THAT I PASSED OUT, AND THAT WE WERE DIVERTING TO ORLANDO. THE CREW SAID THAT I HAD BEEN SLUMPED OVER FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND THEN FLAILED MY ARMS FOR ABOUT 3 SECONDS AS I STARTED TO WAKE UP. WE CONSIDERED THAT I SHOULD REMOVE MYSELF FROM THE SEAT, BUT DECIDED TO PUSH MY SEAT FULL BACK AND PUT ON MY SHOULDER HARNESS. I TRIED TO LOCK IT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. I MADE A RADIO CALL OR 2 IN AN EFFORT TO HELP AND MADE A PA TO THE PAX. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE FO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE ACFT. HE ASKED ME TO LOOK IN THE FOM FOR GUIDANCE ON CREW MEMBER INCAPACITATION. I LOOKED IT UP AND READ IT ALOUD TO THE CREW. IT SAID DON'T ALLOW THE INCAPACITATED CREW MEMBER TO OPERATE FLT CTLS EVEN IF THEY FEEL OK. WE FOLLOWED THE GUIDANCE. THE FO INSISTED ON HANDLING THE RADIOS AND FLYING. I TRIED TO BACK THEM UP ON ALT CALLS AND CHKLIST. IT WAS HARD TO DO NOTHING, BUT I KNEW I MIGHT NOT BE 100%, EVEN THOUGH I FELT FINE. WE DID AN OVERWT LNDG IN ORLANDO AND TAXIED TO THE GATE AREA. I WALKED OFF THE ACFT. I WAS EXAMINED BY THE EMT'S WITH NO EVIDENT PROBS, BUT THEY RECOMMENDED A MORE THOROUGH CHK AT A LCL HOSPITAL. THE DOCTORS DETERMINED THAT I PROBABLY HAD A SPASM OF THE ESOPHAGUS. A COMPLETE PHYSICAL SHOWED A HIATAL HERNIA AND SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN NORMAL ESOPHAGUS.

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.