Narrative:

We had a 30 min taxi time with traffic saturation and departure delays. As we were cleared into position to hold, we were advised it would be a few mins for release. Upon receiving clearance for immediate takeoff, the first officer released the brakes and started rolling toward a toga power setting. Immediately, the flight attendant call button went off. I answered quickly and was advised by one of the aft flight attendants that an apparently ill passenger just went into the aft lavatory. The passenger said it was 'an emergency' and could not wait. We were now accelerating slowly past 40 KTS with the first officer waiting for my decision. I made an immediate snapshot of the situation considering all possible consequences and issues. I directed the flight attendant to tell him to stay in the lavatory and do not let him out until I call back when safely airborne. I told the first officer to continue the takeoff roll. The passenger was now locked in the lavatory for the takeoff in-progress and climb out as per my instructions. Upon reaching a smooth altitude, I directed the flight attendant to let him out of the lavatory and he returned to his seat. It was an uneventful flight from that point on. There were many variables in the equation such as pending hot brakes from the long downhill taxi and delays, 'fam's' on board, loss of revenue/connections, further takeoff delays from hot brakes, removal of an ill passenger, safety of the passenger in the lavatory considering abort, and climb out turbulence, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW CONTINUES TKOF AND CLBOUT AFTER BEING NOTIFIED THAT AN ILL PAX WENT INTO THE LAVATORY ON TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: WE HAD A 30 MIN TAXI TIME WITH TFC SATURATION AND DEP DELAYS. AS WE WERE CLRED INTO POS TO HOLD, WE WERE ADVISED IT WOULD BE A FEW MINS FOR RELEASE. UPON RECEIVING CLRNC FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF, THE FO RELEASED THE BRAKES AND STARTED ROLLING TOWARD A TOGA PWR SETTING. IMMEDIATELY, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALL BUTTON WENT OFF. I ANSWERED QUICKLY AND WAS ADVISED BY ONE OF THE AFT FLT ATTENDANTS THAT AN APPARENTLY ILL PAX JUST WENT INTO THE AFT LAVATORY. THE PAX SAID IT WAS 'AN EMER' AND COULD NOT WAIT. WE WERE NOW ACCELERATING SLOWLY PAST 40 KTS WITH THE FO WAITING FOR MY DECISION. I MADE AN IMMEDIATE SNAPSHOT OF THE SIT CONSIDERING ALL POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES AND ISSUES. I DIRECTED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO TELL HIM TO STAY IN THE LAVATORY AND DO NOT LET HIM OUT UNTIL I CALL BACK WHEN SAFELY AIRBORNE. I TOLD THE FO TO CONTINUE THE TKOF ROLL. THE PAX WAS NOW LOCKED IN THE LAVATORY FOR THE TKOF IN-PROGRESS AND CLBOUT AS PER MY INSTRUCTIONS. UPON REACHING A SMOOTH ALT, I DIRECTED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO LET HIM OUT OF THE LAVATORY AND HE RETURNED TO HIS SEAT. IT WAS AN UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM THAT POINT ON. THERE WERE MANY VARIABLES IN THE EQUATION SUCH AS PENDING HOT BRAKES FROM THE LONG DOWNHILL TAXI AND DELAYS, 'FAM'S' ON BOARD, LOSS OF REVENUE/CONNECTIONS, FURTHER TKOF DELAYS FROM HOT BRAKES, REMOVAL OF AN ILL PAX, SAFETY OF THE PAX IN THE LAVATORY CONSIDERING ABORT, AND CLBOUT TURB, ETC.

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.