Narrative:

Second day of 3 day pm pairing. Midday I (first officer) ate a tuna sandwich from kiosk in bna. Completed flight day without much consequence, except for slightly 'rumbly' stomach. Remain overnight at hotel and was up a few times during the night with diarrhea and vomited once. Felt better the next morning and reported to the lobby. I notified captain of food poisoning and illness the night before. Also, that I felt the event was over and physically fit to fly. Normal duties, preflight, takeoff and climb were uneventful. During cruise, I felt nauseous and told the captain I needed to use the restroom. Cockpit security procedures were followed and 1 flight attendant stayed in the cockpit. I felt like I needed to vomit, grabbed a sick sac and headed for the forward lavatory, stooped down to kneel or situation to overcome nausea and be close to 'the can,' eyes closed, and waiting to be sick. Flight attendant called nurse who took pulse and ascertained I was ok. I remained in the lavatory about 5 mins. I returned to the cockpit to speak with the captain to update him directly. Captain said I looked sick and asked if immediate divert/landing was necessary, or if I was able to continue to okc, tul (these would require overweight landing) or abq? I told him I was certain the food poisoning was the culprit, it would require a replacement first officer and that abq (40 mins away) was a good plan. I asked to remain in the cockpit. He said, 'no, go to the cabin and lay down.' questioning 'why' I asked if I would 'be too much of a distraction if I were sick in the cockpit' (vomit). He said yes and asked the flight attendant to remain. I rested in the back of the cabin until landing abq where, to my surprise, the aircraft was met by EMS personnel. I walked through the cabin to meet them in the jetway and relayed symptoms of last night's nausea, vomit, diarrhea and tiredness, but currently only experiencing nausea and weakness. Bp, pulse, ekg and blood sugar tests taken by abq EMS were all normal. EMS advised me these symptoms were normal and weakness was due to dehydration and advised to drink water. I declined a hospital transport. Deadheaded home without further incident. Captain did an excellent job of coordinating dispatch and flight attendant. He repeatedly asked me about diverting and I reiterated that an overweight landing at an offline airport was not necessary. The flight attendants were helpful and worked well as a team. One remained in the cockpit at all times. The lesson obviously is that, when it comes to fit for flight issues, 95% is not 100%. Although I felt well enough to fly before we were airborne, I should have given myself more recovery time before returning to duty.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 FO RPTED THAT FOOD POISONING CAUSED HER TO BE SO INCAPACITATED THAT THE CAPT HAD TO HANDLE A DIVERSION TO ABQ ALONE.

Narrative: SECOND DAY OF 3 DAY PM PAIRING. MIDDAY I (FO) ATE A TUNA SANDWICH FROM KIOSK IN BNA. COMPLETED FLT DAY WITHOUT MUCH CONSEQUENCE, EXCEPT FOR SLIGHTLY 'RUMBLY' STOMACH. REMAIN OVERNIGHT AT HOTEL AND WAS UP A FEW TIMES DURING THE NIGHT WITH DIARRHEA AND VOMITED ONCE. FELT BETTER THE NEXT MORNING AND RPTED TO THE LOBBY. I NOTIFIED CAPT OF FOOD POISONING AND ILLNESS THE NIGHT BEFORE. ALSO, THAT I FELT THE EVENT WAS OVER AND PHYSICALLY FIT TO FLY. NORMAL DUTIES, PREFLT, TKOF AND CLB WERE UNEVENTFUL. DURING CRUISE, I FELT NAUSEOUS AND TOLD THE CAPT I NEEDED TO USE THE RESTROOM. COCKPIT SECURITY PROCS WERE FOLLOWED AND 1 FLT ATTENDANT STAYED IN THE COCKPIT. I FELT LIKE I NEEDED TO VOMIT, GRABBED A SICK SAC AND HEADED FOR THE FORWARD LAVATORY, STOOPED DOWN TO KNEEL OR SIT TO OVERCOME NAUSEA AND BE CLOSE TO 'THE CAN,' EYES CLOSED, AND WAITING TO BE SICK. FLT ATTENDANT CALLED NURSE WHO TOOK PULSE AND ASCERTAINED I WAS OK. I REMAINED IN THE LAVATORY ABOUT 5 MINS. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TO SPEAK WITH THE CAPT TO UPDATE HIM DIRECTLY. CAPT SAID I LOOKED SICK AND ASKED IF IMMEDIATE DIVERT/LNDG WAS NECESSARY, OR IF I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO OKC, TUL (THESE WOULD REQUIRE OVERWT LNDG) OR ABQ? I TOLD HIM I WAS CERTAIN THE FOOD POISONING WAS THE CULPRIT, IT WOULD REQUIRE A REPLACEMENT FO AND THAT ABQ (40 MINS AWAY) WAS A GOOD PLAN. I ASKED TO REMAIN IN THE COCKPIT. HE SAID, 'NO, GO TO THE CABIN AND LAY DOWN.' QUESTIONING 'WHY' I ASKED IF I WOULD 'BE TOO MUCH OF A DISTR IF I WERE SICK IN THE COCKPIT' (VOMIT). HE SAID YES AND ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO REMAIN. I RESTED IN THE BACK OF THE CABIN UNTIL LNDG ABQ WHERE, TO MY SURPRISE, THE ACFT WAS MET BY EMS PERSONNEL. I WALKED THROUGH THE CABIN TO MEET THEM IN THE JETWAY AND RELAYED SYMPTOMS OF LAST NIGHT'S NAUSEA, VOMIT, DIARRHEA AND TIREDNESS, BUT CURRENTLY ONLY EXPERIENCING NAUSEA AND WEAKNESS. BP, PULSE, EKG AND BLOOD SUGAR TESTS TAKEN BY ABQ EMS WERE ALL NORMAL. EMS ADVISED ME THESE SYMPTOMS WERE NORMAL AND WEAKNESS WAS DUE TO DEHYDRATION AND ADVISED TO DRINK WATER. I DECLINED A HOSPITAL TRANSPORT. DEADHEADED HOME WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. CAPT DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF COORDINATING DISPATCH AND FLT ATTENDANT. HE REPEATEDLY ASKED ME ABOUT DIVERTING AND I REITERATED THAT AN OVERWT LNDG AT AN OFFLINE ARPT WAS NOT NECESSARY. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE HELPFUL AND WORKED WELL AS A TEAM. ONE REMAINED IN THE COCKPIT AT ALL TIMES. THE LESSON OBVIOUSLY IS THAT, WHEN IT COMES TO FIT FOR FLT ISSUES, 95% IS NOT 100%. ALTHOUGH I FELT WELL ENOUGH TO FLY BEFORE WE WERE AIRBORNE, I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN MYSELF MORE RECOVERY TIME BEFORE RETURNING TO DUTY.

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.