B737-300 flight crew had medical emergency and diverts for landing.

Attributes
ACN	703159
Time
Date	200607
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 257
ASRS Report	703159
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 2
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

During cruise flight; flight attendant notified me of need to contact medical due to a medical situation in the cabin. It took several mins to establish contact with comrdo and then medical. Once contact was established; medical could not hear the flight attendant. The flight attendant could hear them. I relayed all information from the flight attendant to medical. During the exchange of information; medical lost contact with us. It was very frustrating. I was repeatedly repeating the information. It quickly became apparent to me that we had a serious medical condition. I instructed the first officer to fly at high speed cruise. I told ATC that we had a medical emergency. After this was being executed and more repeated attempts to communication with medical; I heard medical instruct us to land as soon as possible. ZZZ was the closest airport in time and we proceeded to ZZZ. Exercising my emergency authority/authorized; we flew above 250 KTS below 10000 ft to facilitate an expeditious arrival. Paramedics met the flight as we arrived and tended to the passenger while all passenger remained in their seats.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW HAD MEDICAL EMER AND DIVERTS FOR LNDG.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE FLT; FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME OF NEED TO CONTACT MEDICAL DUE TO A MEDICAL SITUATION IN THE CABIN. IT TOOK SEVERAL MINS TO ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH COMRDO AND THEN MEDICAL. ONCE CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED; MEDICAL COULD NOT HEAR THE FLT ATTENDANT. THE FLT ATTENDANT COULD HEAR THEM. I RELAYED ALL INFO FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT TO MEDICAL. DURING THE EXCHANGE OF INFO; MEDICAL LOST CONTACT WITH US. IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING. I WAS REPEATEDLY REPEATING THE INFO. IT QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT TO ME THAT WE HAD A SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION. I INSTRUCTED THE FO TO FLY AT HIGH SPD CRUISE. I TOLD ATC THAT WE HAD A MEDICAL EMER. AFTER THIS WAS BEING EXECUTED AND MORE REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO COM WITH MEDICAL; I HEARD MEDICAL INSTRUCT US TO LAND ASAP. ZZZ WAS THE CLOSEST ARPT IN TIME AND WE PROCEEDED TO ZZZ. EXERCISING MY EMER AUTH; WE FLEW ABOVE 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT TO FACILITATE AN EXPEDITIOUS ARR. PARAMEDICS MET THE FLT AS WE ARRIVED AND TENDED TO THE PAX WHILE ALL PAX REMAINED IN THEIR SEATS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.