Narrative:

Executing published instrument localizer back course DME runway 34L approach. When approximately 5 DME out, pilot passenger became suddenly very ill from non flying malady. Attention was diverted from flying task. Strayed right of course. Detected by return scan showing extreme left deflection of localizer obs needle. Just prior to situation with passenger, visibility ground contact was made. Failed to get back on course by correcting heading and flying instruments and attempted to go visually resulting in further off course position and descending below published and safe altitude above ground. Realizing position was close to rising terrain, by visibility contact corrective climb out and heading was started. Trying to respond and repeat to numerous communications from tower resulted in further deterioration of flying skills. Judgement and decisions were bad by not getting back to the known, namely the approach procedure, and by attempting to go visibility in marginal WX. Inaction demonstrated by not returning to cockpit instrument flying and/or timely missed approach all somewhat aggravated by illness situation in cockpit and its resulting distrs. The rapid fire instructions and commands from the tower operation, although well-meaning and intending to be helpful, tended to add to the degree of fluster in the situation. Moral: do not let a non-flying, non-fatal malady create a fatal flying malady. Above all else, continue to fly the airplane and adhere to published procedure and regulations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT OFF COURSE AND DSNDING TOWARD RISING TERRAIN DURING LOC APCH.

Narrative: EXECUTING PUBLISHED INSTRUMENT LOC BC DME RWY 34L APCH. WHEN APPROX 5 DME OUT, PLT PAX BECAME SUDDENLY VERY ILL FROM NON FLYING MALADY. ATTN WAS DIVERTED FROM FLYING TASK. STRAYED RIGHT OF COURSE. DETECTED BY RETURN SCAN SHOWING EXTREME LEFT DEFLECTION OF LOC OBS NEEDLE. JUST PRIOR TO SITUATION WITH PAX, VIS GND CONTACT WAS MADE. FAILED TO GET BACK ON COURSE BY CORRECTING HDG AND FLYING INSTRUMENTS AND ATTEMPTED TO GO VISUALLY RESULTING IN FURTHER OFF COURSE POS AND DSNDING BELOW PUBLISHED AND SAFE ALT ABOVE GND. REALIZING POS WAS CLOSE TO RISING TERRAIN, BY VIS CONTACT CORRECTIVE CLBOUT AND HDG WAS STARTED. TRYING TO RESPOND AND REPEAT TO NUMEROUS COMS FROM TWR RESULTED IN FURTHER DETERIORATION OF FLYING SKILLS. JUDGEMENT AND DECISIONS WERE BAD BY NOT GETTING BACK TO THE KNOWN, NAMELY THE APCH PROC, AND BY ATTEMPTING TO GO VIS IN MARGINAL WX. INACTION DEMONSTRATED BY NOT RETURNING TO COCKPIT INSTRUMENT FLYING AND/OR TIMELY MISSED APCH ALL SOMEWHAT AGGRAVATED BY ILLNESS SITUATION IN COCKPIT AND ITS RESULTING DISTRS. THE RAPID FIRE INSTRUCTIONS AND COMMANDS FROM THE TWR OPERATION, ALTHOUGH WELL-MEANING AND INTENDING TO BE HELPFUL, TENDED TO ADD TO THE DEGREE OF FLUSTER IN THE SITUATION. MORAL: DO NOT LET A NON-FLYING, NON-FATAL MALADY CREATE A FATAL FLYING MALADY. ABOVE ALL ELSE, CONTINUE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE AND ADHERE TO PUBLISHED PROC AND REGS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.