Narrative:

The flight attendant in charge informed me we had a medical emergency onboard. A passenger was in seizure with 'his eyes rolled back in his head and drooling saliva.' the passenger was unresponsive. Knowing time was of the essence I told ATC and we diverted to the closest airport which was bzn. I knew bzn was classified by our airline as 'special' and I had signed myself off using pictorials as per company policy. What I failed to realize was that bzn was further classified as a class 2 and required a line check airman on PIC's entry and exit into bzn for final qualification. I will speak to my company regarding the computer sign off page where it appears to show satisfactory qualifications are met when at some airports (class 2 and 3) more (lca) is needed for a satisfactory qualification. Also, that there needs to be more information supplied on our 'pages.' special airport specific information pages. Note: the field was VFR with all the terrain in sight. The visual approach and takeoff was uneventful. On further examinations of my actions in and out of bzn I may have not chosen the most correct departure. I flew the dal special 'page' runway 12 sbound VFR climb, but failed to inform ATC. I probably should have flown the departure procedure on the 11-1 plate. Again, I will try to clear up the confusion with my company, so this doesn't happen in the future. Supplemental information from acn 585457: before diverting to bzn we declared a medical emergency, so there probably is no problem there. However, leaving we didn't have an emergency and just wanted to be on our way. The captain did contact our company flight controller before departure, but did not mention that neither of us had been there before. We should have mentioned this, so the dispatcher could have gotten us special dispensation to leave. Our company computer warns us when the pictorial briefing book needs to be reviewed, but not that a check ride is required. In 15 yrs I have never actually flown an IFR departure procedure. The text of the procedure is printed with very small type. It should be displayed somewhere more prominently, at least with bold-faced type.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 FLT DIVERTS FOR A MEDICAL EMER. FLT CREW PONDERS ON THEIR DECISION AS THE CREW WAS NOT QUALIFIED INTO THIS OFF RTE ARPT AND USED THEIR COMPANY PAGED DEP PROC IN LIEU OF THE CHARTED INST DEP PROCS FROM BZN, MT.

Narrative: THE FLT ATTENDANT IN CHARGE INFORMED ME WE HAD A MEDICAL EMER ONBOARD. A PAX WAS IN SEIZURE WITH 'HIS EYES ROLLED BACK IN HIS HEAD AND DROOLING SALIVA.' THE PAX WAS UNRESPONSIVE. KNOWING TIME WAS OF THE ESSENCE I TOLD ATC AND WE DIVERTED TO THE CLOSEST ARPT WHICH WAS BZN. I KNEW BZN WAS CLASSIFIED BY OUR AIRLINE AS 'SPECIAL' AND I HAD SIGNED MYSELF OFF USING PICTORIALS AS PER COMPANY POLICY. WHAT I FAILED TO REALIZE WAS THAT BZN WAS FURTHER CLASSIFIED AS A CLASS 2 AND REQUIRED A LINE CHK AIRMAN ON PIC'S ENTRY AND EXIT INTO BZN FOR FINAL QUALIFICATION. I WILL SPEAK TO MY COMPANY REGARDING THE COMPUTER SIGN OFF PAGE WHERE IT APPEARS TO SHOW SATISFACTORY QUALIFICATIONS ARE MET WHEN AT SOME ARPTS (CLASS 2 AND 3) MORE (LCA) IS NEEDED FOR A SATISFACTORY QUALIFICATION. ALSO, THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE INFO SUPPLIED ON OUR 'PAGES.' SPECIAL ARPT SPECIFIC INFO PAGES. NOTE: THE FIELD WAS VFR WITH ALL THE TERRAIN IN SIGHT. THE VISUAL APCH AND TKOF WAS UNEVENTFUL. ON FURTHER EXAMINATIONS OF MY ACTIONS IN AND OUT OF BZN I MAY HAVE NOT CHOSEN THE MOST CORRECT DEP. I FLEW THE DAL SPECIAL 'PAGE' RWY 12 SBOUND VFR CLB, BUT FAILED TO INFORM ATC. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE DEP PROC ON THE 11-1 PLATE. AGAIN, I WILL TRY TO CLR UP THE CONFUSION WITH MY COMPANY, SO THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 585457: BEFORE DIVERTING TO BZN WE DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER, SO THERE PROBABLY IS NO PROB THERE. HOWEVER, LEAVING WE DIDN'T HAVE AN EMER AND JUST WANTED TO BE ON OUR WAY. THE CAPT DID CONTACT OUR COMPANY FLT CTLR BEFORE DEP, BUT DID NOT MENTION THAT NEITHER OF US HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE. WE SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS, SO THE DISPATCHER COULD HAVE GOTTEN US SPECIAL DISPENSATION TO LEAVE. OUR COMPANY COMPUTER WARNS US WHEN THE PICTORIAL BRIEFING BOOK NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED, BUT NOT THAT A CHK RIDE IS REQUIRED. IN 15 YRS I HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY FLOWN AN IFR DEP PROC. THE TEXT OF THE PROC IS PRINTED WITH VERY SMALL TYPE. IT SHOULD BE DISPLAYED SOMEWHERE MORE PROMINENTLY, AT LEAST WITH BOLD-FACED TYPE.

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.