Atx pilot affected by airsick passenger on IMC flight from grand canyon to kingman.

Attributes
ACN	154585
Time
Date	199008
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gcn
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 1650 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	154585
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other

Narrative:

After departure from grand canyon, az, on an air taxi flight, the aircraft entered IMC conditions with light to moderate turbulence. The passenger sitting in the copilot's seat vomitted west/O warning. The vomit was dispersed all over the cockpit as well as on my charts and approach plates. The odor from the vomit was extremely strong, causing me to gag and feel as if I were going to vomit also. The turbulent conditions made aircraft control difficult requiring a high degree of concentration. The vomit odor as well as my gaging reflex was making aircraft control extremely difficult. I asked la center to bring me around to return to gcn. They informed me the airport was below minimums. I asked for vectors to the nearest VFR airport with distance ETA. My approach plates were covered with vomit. I proceeded direct to kingman airport. After reaching VMC I cancelled IFR and descended to kingman airport to land. After landing I contacted my dispatcher informed them of the situation and cleaned out the aircraft. Contributory factors were: turbulence, passenger failure to use sick sack. Pilot performance affected by vomit odors and gagging reflex. Pilot decision to get to VFR conditions and land as soon as practicable for safety.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT AFFECTED BY AIRSICK PAX ON IMC FLIGHT FROM GRAND CANYON TO KINGMAN.

Narrative: AFTER DEP FROM GRAND CANYON, AZ, ON AN AIR TAXI FLT, THE ACFT ENTERED IMC CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB. THE PAX SITTING IN THE COPLT'S SEAT VOMITTED W/O WARNING. THE VOMIT WAS DISPERSED ALL OVER THE COCKPIT AS WELL AS ON MY CHARTS AND APCH PLATES. THE ODOR FROM THE VOMIT WAS EXTREMELY STRONG, CAUSING ME TO GAG AND FEEL AS IF I WERE GOING TO VOMIT ALSO. THE TURBULENT CONDITIONS MADE ACFT CTL DIFFICULT REQUIRING A HIGH DEG OF CONCENTRATION. THE VOMIT ODOR AS WELL AS MY GAGING REFLEX WAS MAKING ACFT CTL EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. I ASKED LA CTR TO BRING ME AROUND TO RETURN TO GCN. THEY INFORMED ME THE ARPT WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. I ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST VFR ARPT WITH DISTANCE ETA. MY APCH PLATES WERE COVERED WITH VOMIT. I PROCEEDED DIRECT TO KINGMAN ARPT. AFTER REACHING VMC I CANCELLED IFR AND DSNDED TO KINGMAN ARPT TO LAND. AFTER LNDG I CONTACTED MY DISPATCHER INFORMED THEM OF THE SITUATION AND CLEANED OUT THE ACFT. CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS WERE: TURB, PAX FAILURE TO USE SICK SACK. PLT PERFORMANCE AFFECTED BY VOMIT ODORS AND GAGGING REFLEX. PLT DECISION TO GET TO VFR CONDITIONS AND LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE FOR SAFETY.

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.