Narrative:

This was a ZZZ-bdl-ZZZ turn. I had flown with captain previously. I flew the ZZZ-bdl leg, which was uneventful. At departure time from bdl, captain experienced a minor nose bleed. It stopped after 10 mins, so we elected to proceed. Climbing through FL310 between cam and syr, captain experienced a major nose bleed, and he told me to take the aircraft. We both determined that we needed to land to get medical attention. Since captain was occupied with stopping the bleeding, I was handling all the cockpit duties. WX on the east coast was lousy, so I didn't want to turn back. Buf and syr were nearby, but the first officer no longer carries those approach plates, and the captain divert plates were not available to me. I initially decided to go to cle, as I knew the field, the WX was good, and it was our station. Captain was not able to stop the bleeding. I decided that we needed to land sooner than cle. Pit WX was ok, so I elected to go there. Upon landing at pit, we stopped on the runway, and I asked captain if he was able to taxi the aircraft. He said he was, so we taxied to the gate. We were met by medical personnel, and captain was transported to the hospital. I never declared an emergency, but ATC may have declared one for me. I requested and was given permission to exceed 250 KIAS below 10000 ft. Captain was conscious the entire time of this incident. He was fully involved in the decision making process, and was not a hazard to the aircraft. I am sure that if the need had arisen, he could have taken control of the aircraft and safely flown it to a landing. Another company aircraft heard our calls to ATC, and was of great assistance. He relayed our intentions to operations at ZZZ. Captain is a federal flight deck officer. 2 tsa supervisors met the aircraft at pit and took custody of the weapon. ATC in bos and cle ctrs were very helpful with requests, as was pit approach and tower. The flight attendants did a good job with taking care of the cabin without a lot of input from me. They found an emt and a physician on board, but they were not needed. The station at pit did a very good job coordinating this event. Supplemental information from acn 616518: I turned the PF duties over to the first officer and put tissue in my nose with pressure on it to try and stem the bleeding. Paramedics were waiting at the gate and upon arrival, I was taken to a hospital emergency room for treatment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT, PIT, WHEN THE PIC OF AN MD80 SUFFERS A MAJOR NOSE BLEED AT FL310 75 MI W OF CAM, NY.

Narrative: THIS WAS A ZZZ-BDL-ZZZ TURN. I HAD FLOWN WITH CAPT PREVIOUSLY. I FLEW THE ZZZ-BDL LEG, WHICH WAS UNEVENTFUL. AT DEP TIME FROM BDL, CAPT EXPERIENCED A MINOR NOSE BLEED. IT STOPPED AFTER 10 MINS, SO WE ELECTED TO PROCEED. CLBING THROUGH FL310 BTWN CAM AND SYR, CAPT EXPERIENCED A MAJOR NOSE BLEED, AND HE TOLD ME TO TAKE THE ACFT. WE BOTH DETERMINED THAT WE NEEDED TO LAND TO GET MEDICAL ATTN. SINCE CAPT WAS OCCUPIED WITH STOPPING THE BLEEDING, I WAS HANDLING ALL THE COCKPIT DUTIES. WX ON THE EAST COAST WAS LOUSY, SO I DIDN'T WANT TO TURN BACK. BUF AND SYR WERE NEARBY, BUT THE FO NO LONGER CARRIES THOSE APCH PLATES, AND THE CAPT DIVERT PLATES WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO ME. I INITIALLY DECIDED TO GO TO CLE, AS I KNEW THE FIELD, THE WX WAS GOOD, AND IT WAS OUR STATION. CAPT WAS NOT ABLE TO STOP THE BLEEDING. I DECIDED THAT WE NEEDED TO LAND SOONER THAN CLE. PIT WX WAS OK, SO I ELECTED TO GO THERE. UPON LNDG AT PIT, WE STOPPED ON THE RWY, AND I ASKED CAPT IF HE WAS ABLE TO TAXI THE ACFT. HE SAID HE WAS, SO WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. WE WERE MET BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL, AND CAPT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. I NEVER DECLARED AN EMER, BUT ATC MAY HAVE DECLARED ONE FOR ME. I REQUESTED AND WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO EXCEED 250 KIAS BELOW 10000 FT. CAPT WAS CONSCIOUS THE ENTIRE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. HE WAS FULLY INVOLVED IN THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS, AND WAS NOT A HAZARD TO THE ACFT. I AM SURE THAT IF THE NEED HAD ARISEN, HE COULD HAVE TAKEN CTL OF THE ACFT AND SAFELY FLOWN IT TO A LNDG. ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT HEARD OUR CALLS TO ATC, AND WAS OF GREAT ASSISTANCE. HE RELAYED OUR INTENTIONS TO OPS AT ZZZ. CAPT IS A FEDERAL FLT DECK OFFICER. 2 TSA SUPVRS MET THE ACFT AT PIT AND TOOK CUSTODY OF THE WEAPON. ATC IN BOS AND CLE CTRS WERE VERY HELPFUL WITH REQUESTS, AS WAS PIT APCH AND TWR. THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID A GOOD JOB WITH TAKING CARE OF THE CABIN WITHOUT A LOT OF INPUT FROM ME. THEY FOUND AN EMT AND A PHYSICIAN ON BOARD, BUT THEY WERE NOT NEEDED. THE STATION AT PIT DID A VERY GOOD JOB COORDINATING THIS EVENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 616518: I TURNED THE PF DUTIES OVER TO THE FO AND PUT TISSUE IN MY NOSE WITH PRESSURE ON IT TO TRY AND STEM THE BLEEDING. PARAMEDICS WERE WAITING AT THE GATE AND UPON ARR, I WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL EMER ROOM FOR TREATMENT.

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.