Narrative:

Approximately 2 hours and 30 mins into the flight, the #1 flight attendant informed us that a child was vomiting continuously due to some medication they had taken. They were going to try and keep the child hydrated and keep us informed. At 3 hours into the flight, she said that the child was still vomiting and was going to make a PA for a doctor. At 4 hours and 30 mins into the flight, she put the doctor on the phone and he briefed me on the child's condition. The child seemed to be doing ok, but had not taken any liquids and he had not administered an iv to a child in 20 yrs. So he did not know if we should divert to mpto or continue the 3 hour trip to mia. I informed him that we had a PA on call and that I would get them on the phone and he could discuss the child's condition and diagnosis. It was at this point that the first officer and I discussed how we would put him on the phone with dispatch and the PA on call. We determined that it was a medical emergency and that it was imperative in determining if we needed to divert to put him in contact with the PA on call. His credentials had been checked by the flight attendant and we decided he might need access to the cockpit to talk on the hand microphone to the PA on call thru dispatch. I asked the first officer to wake the captain and inform him. I then got on communication with dispatch and the PA on call. The next thing I know the doctor is being escorted into the cockpit by the flight attendants as they also block the aisle. I put him on the phone with the PA on call and they decide to try giving the child ice shavings and if that will not work then either a divert or an iv. The captain then came up and talked to the doctor and he was escorted back to his seat. The child kept the ice down and we continued to mia without incident. Upon talking with the captain, we discussed the importance of getting this scenario out to the crews in the event that hijackers might use this technique (a faked illness and/or faked doctor) to try and gain access or get the crews defenses down. At no time was the flight in any jeopardy, but in hindsight I should have made sure the captain was informed and solved the problem of a passenger/mechanic deadheading crew, doctor or other trusted individuals being able to talk to someone on the ground through the radios as the phones on board no longer work.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B-777 FLT CREW HAS ILL PAX THAT REQUIRES ON BOARD DOCTOR TO ENTER THE COCKPIT TO COMMUNICATE WITH GND PERSONNEL.

Narrative: APPROX 2 HRS AND 30 MINS INTO THE FLT, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT A CHILD WAS VOMITING CONTINUOUSLY DUE TO SOME MEDICATION THEY HAD TAKEN. THEY WERE GOING TO TRY AND KEEP THE CHILD HYDRATED AND KEEP US INFORMED. AT 3 HRS INTO THE FLT, SHE SAID THAT THE CHILD WAS STILL VOMITING AND WAS GOING TO MAKE A PA FOR A DOCTOR. AT 4 HOURS AND 30 MINS INTO THE FLT, SHE PUT THE DOCTOR ON THE PHONE AND HE BRIEFED ME ON THE CHILD'S CONDITION. THE CHILD SEEMED TO BE DOING OK, BUT HAD NOT TAKEN ANY LIQUIDS AND HE HAD NOT ADMINISTERED AN IV TO A CHILD IN 20 YRS. SO HE DID NOT KNOW IF WE SHOULD DIVERT TO MPTO OR CONTINUE THE 3 HR TRIP TO MIA. I INFORMED HIM THAT WE HAD A PA ON CALL AND THAT I WOULD GET THEM ON THE PHONE AND HE COULD DISCUSS THE CHILD'S CONDITION AND DIAGNOSIS. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT THE FO AND I DISCUSSED HOW WE WOULD PUT HIM ON THE PHONE WITH DISPATCH AND THE PA ON CALL. WE DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A MEDICAL EMER AND THAT IT WAS IMPERATIVE IN DETERMINING IF WE NEEDED TO DIVERT TO PUT HIM IN CONTACT WITH THE PA ON CALL. HIS CREDENTIALS HAD BEEN CHKED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT AND WE DECIDED HE MIGHT NEED ACCESS TO THE COCKPIT TO TALK ON THE HAND MIKE TO THE PA ON CALL THRU DISPATCH. I ASKED THE FO TO WAKE THE CAPT AND INFORM HIM. I THEN GOT ON COM WITH DISPATCH AND THE PA ON CALL. THE NEXT THING I KNOW THE DOCTOR IS BEING ESCORTED INTO THE COCKPIT BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS AS THEY ALSO BLOCK THE AISLE. I PUT HIM ON THE PHONE WITH THE PA ON CALL AND THEY DECIDE TO TRY GIVING THE CHILD ICE SHAVINGS AND IF THAT WILL NOT WORK THEN EITHER A DIVERT OR AN IV. THE CAPT THEN CAME UP AND TALKED TO THE DOCTOR AND HE WAS ESCORTED BACK TO HIS SEAT. THE CHILD KEPT THE ICE DOWN AND WE CONTINUED TO MIA WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON TALKING WITH THE CAPT, WE DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THIS SCENARIO OUT TO THE CREWS IN THE EVENT THAT HIJACKERS MIGHT USE THIS TECHNIQUE (A FAKED ILLNESS AND/OR FAKED DOCTOR) TO TRY AND GAIN ACCESS OR GET THE CREWS DEFENSES DOWN. AT NO TIME WAS THE FLT IN ANY JEOPARDY, BUT IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE THE CAPT WAS INFORMED AND SOLVED THE PROB OF A PAX/MECH DEADHEADING CREW, DOCTOR OR OTHER TRUSTED INDIVIDUALS BEING ABLE TO TALK TO SOMEONE ON THE GND THROUGH THE RADIOS AS THE PHONES ON BOARD NO LONGER WORK.

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.