Narrative:

Because we were dealing with a passenger coronary, and had declared an emergency, we returned to lax at a high rate of speed. As we neared the airport and were cleared to land, it became apparent that we were too high and too fast for the landing, and I told the controller we needed to make a left 360 degree turn. He replied that he could not approve that, but volunteered to vector us for another approach. I took control (the first officer had been flying) and advised tower we were making an emergency 360 degree turn. The turn was completed with no traffic conflicts and the landing and taxi in were uneventful. This situation, I believe, is a result of my being distraction from my flying duties by persons outside the cockpit. Having been trained for this, I expect these distrs, yet I allowed myself to be 'drawn in,' I guess because I want to be a 'can do' aviator. The questions ATC was asking (what gate) and that our company was asking (patient's name, seat number, etc) are simple enough, but require time to generate an answer. This is time that would have best been spent in conduct of the flight. Supplemental information from acn 587926: we were high on final to runway 25R (lax). Tower was unable to approve the 360 degree turn, however, TCASII showed no traffic and we communicated our emergency status to lax tower. We taxied to the gate while paramedics met the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B-767 FLT CREW DECLARES AN EMER AND MAKES A 360 DEG TURN ON FINAL APCH TO LOSE ALT AND AIRSPD AT KLAX.

Narrative: BECAUSE WE WERE DEALING WITH A PAX CORONARY, AND HAD DECLARED AN EMER, WE RETURNED TO LAX AT A HIGH RATE OF SPD. AS WE NEARED THE ARPT AND WERE CLRED TO LAND, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WERE TOO HIGH AND TOO FAST FOR THE LNDG, AND I TOLD THE CTLR WE NEEDED TO MAKE A L 360 DEG TURN. HE REPLIED THAT HE COULD NOT APPROVE THAT, BUT VOLUNTEERED TO VECTOR US FOR ANOTHER APCH. I TOOK CTL (THE FO HAD BEEN FLYING) AND ADVISED TWR WE WERE MAKING AN EMER 360 DEG TURN. THE TURN WAS COMPLETED WITH NO TFC CONFLICTS AND THE LNDG AND TAXI IN WERE UNEVENTFUL. THIS SIT, I BELIEVE, IS A RESULT OF MY BEING DISTR FROM MY FLYING DUTIES BY PERSONS OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT. HAVING BEEN TRAINED FOR THIS, I EXPECT THESE DISTRS, YET I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE 'DRAWN IN,' I GUESS BECAUSE I WANT TO BE A 'CAN DO' AVIATOR. THE QUESTIONS ATC WAS ASKING (WHAT GATE) AND THAT OUR COMPANY WAS ASKING (PATIENT'S NAME, SEAT NUMBER, ETC) ARE SIMPLE ENOUGH, BUT REQUIRE TIME TO GENERATE AN ANSWER. THIS IS TIME THAT WOULD HAVE BEST BEEN SPENT IN CONDUCT OF THE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 587926: WE WERE HIGH ON FINAL TO RWY 25R (LAX). TWR WAS UNABLE TO APPROVE THE 360 DEG TURN, HOWEVER, TCASII SHOWED NO TFC AND WE COMMUNICATED OUR EMER STATUS TO LAX TWR. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WHILE PARAMEDICS MET THE AIRPLANE.

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.