Narrative:

About an hour out of hnl, the captain began experiencing physical discomfort including nausea, chest pain, and pain and numbness in his left forearm and hand. I, as first officer was flying the aircraft. After a short discussion, the captain asked the F/a in charge to determine if there was a doctor on board. No doctor was found, but 2 nurses offered their services, and the captain summoned one of them to the cockpit. She questioned the captain, took his blood pressure and monitored his pulse etc using equipment from the medical kit. Her first diagnosis was that the problem was not heart related, but was anxiety possibly associated with the capts having quit smoking only a day or so before. The symptoms persisted and the capts anxiety increased so the nurse decided to consult with the other rn in the cabin. She returned to the cockpit and announced that their advise was that we should return to hnl. The captain remained in his seat and instructed me to return to hnl. I exited pacific track R-465 by turning 90 degrees to the south for 30 mi then paralleled track westbound until we received clearance to intercept westbound pacific track R-576. ATC initially told us to descend to FL320 while they were working on the clearance and then to FL310 (a proper altitude for R-576). The second officer took over the radio duties and did an excellent job of coordination with all agencies involved as well doing normal ATC calls. We did not declare an emergency, but advised ATC we had a medical problem and they gave us priority handling. We landed hnl at approximately xx:25Z and the captain taxied the airplane to the gate where he was met by paramedics. In my opinion the captain was at no time incapacitated, and the return to hnl was precautionary in nature based on professional medical advise. The actual medical condition of the captain isn't known to me at this time.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB RETURNS TO HNL DUE TO CAPT ILLNESS.

Narrative: ABOUT AN HR OUT OF HNL, THE CAPT BEGAN EXPERIENCING PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT INCLUDING NAUSEA, CHEST PAIN, AND PAIN AND NUMBNESS IN HIS L FOREARM AND HAND. I, AS F/O WAS FLYING THE ACFT. AFTER A SHORT DISCUSSION, THE CAPT ASKED THE F/A IN CHARGE TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A DOCTOR ON BOARD. NO DOCTOR WAS FOUND, BUT 2 NURSES OFFERED THEIR SVCS, AND THE CAPT SUMMONED ONE OF THEM TO THE COCKPIT. SHE QUESTIONED THE CAPT, TOOK HIS BLOOD PRESSURE AND MONITORED HIS PULSE ETC USING EQUIP FROM THE MEDICAL KIT. HER FIRST DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE PROB WAS NOT HEART RELATED, BUT WAS ANXIETY POSSIBLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE CAPTS HAVING QUIT SMOKING ONLY A DAY OR SO BEFORE. THE SYMPTOMS PERSISTED AND THE CAPTS ANXIETY INCREASED SO THE NURSE DECIDED TO CONSULT WITH THE OTHER RN IN THE CABIN. SHE RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND ANNOUNCED THAT THEIR ADVISE WAS THAT WE SHOULD RETURN TO HNL. THE CAPT REMAINED IN HIS SEAT AND INSTRUCTED ME TO RETURN TO HNL. I EXITED PACIFIC TRACK R-465 BY TURNING 90 DEGS TO THE S FOR 30 MI THEN PARALLELED TRACK WBND UNTIL WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO INTERCEPT WBND PACIFIC TRACK R-576. ATC INITIALLY TOLD US TO DSND TO FL320 WHILE THEY WERE WORKING ON THE CLRNC AND THEN TO FL310 (A PROPER ALT FOR R-576). THE S/O TOOK OVER THE RADIO DUTIES AND DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF COORD WITH ALL AGENCIES INVOLVED AS WELL DOING NORMAL ATC CALLS. WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER, BUT ADVISED ATC WE HAD A MEDICAL PROB AND THEY GAVE US PRIORITY HANDLING. WE LANDED HNL AT APPROX XX:25Z AND THE CAPT TAXIED THE AIRPLANE TO THE GATE WHERE HE WAS MET BY PARAMEDICS. IN MY OPINION THE CAPT WAS AT NO TIME INCAPACITATED, AND THE RETURN TO HNL WAS PRECAUTIONARY IN NATURE BASED ON PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVISE. THE ACTUAL MEDICAL CONDITION OF THE CAPT ISN'T KNOWN TO ME AT THIS TIME.

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.