Narrative:

To my thinking, there is really no problem to the operation of the specific flight I shall describe, but the situation does bear documentation and consideration in the greater scheme of air safety. The flight in question was long range international in a B747-400 from narita to chicago. The aircraft is certified for 2 pilots but was operated on this trip with a double augmented crew because of company association working agreement. I was pilot in control for takeoff in narita and working the first shift (about 5 1/2 hours) with the captain. About 1 hour before being relieved by the relief first officer's who were asleep, the captain asked me to take over the radio and flight plan monitoring duties because he did not feel well. He stated that he had gotten a migraine headache and felt nauseous as well. On 1 occasion he attempted to question whether I had made a report or not and was not able to get the words out. At this point I could see he was in great pain and suggested that we wake up a relief pilot early which I did shortly thereafter. Following my break, I returned to the copilot's seat for approach and landing in chicago. The captain, at the end of his rest, was worse rather than better and elected to situation in the second jump seat for the remainder of the flight. As senior copilot I flew the approach, landed and taxied to the gate. The other coplts occupied the captain's seat and center jumpseat and operated as we normally would. The flight was operationally uneventful. Although the captain was not unconscious his ability was impaired. It would be difficult to say that he was incapacitated. His decision to utilize extra crew members showed good judgement in this case. Many pilots would have been tempted to 'tough it out' to the possible detriment of air safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF B747-400 ON AN INTL FLT BECAME ILL AND HAD THE SENIOR FO TAKE OVER AND LAND ACFT AT DEST.

Narrative: TO MY THINKING, THERE IS REALLY NO PROB TO THE OP OF THE SPECIFIC FLT I SHALL DESCRIBE, BUT THE SIT DOES BEAR DOCUMENTATION AND CONSIDERATION IN THE GREATER SCHEME OF AIR SAFETY. THE FLT IN QUESTION WAS LONG RANGE INTL IN A B747-400 FROM NARITA TO CHICAGO. THE ACFT IS CERTIFIED FOR 2 PLTS BUT WAS OPERATED ON THIS TRIP WITH A DOUBLE AUGMENTED CREW BECAUSE OF COMPANY ASSOCIATION WORKING AGREEMENT. I WAS PLT IN CTL FOR TKOF IN NARITA AND WORKING THE FIRST SHIFT (ABOUT 5 1/2 HRS) WITH THE CAPT. ABOUT 1 HR BEFORE BEING RELIEVED BY THE RELIEF FO'S WHO WERE ASLEEP, THE CAPT ASKED ME TO TAKE OVER THE RADIO AND FLT PLAN MONITORING DUTIES BECAUSE HE DID NOT FEEL WELL. HE STATED THAT HE HAD GOTTEN A MIGRAINE HEADACHE AND FELT NAUSEOUS AS WELL. ON 1 OCCASION HE ATTEMPTED TO QUESTION WHETHER I HAD MADE A RPT OR NOT AND WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE WORDS OUT. AT THIS POINT I COULD SEE HE WAS IN GREAT PAIN AND SUGGESTED THAT WE WAKE UP A RELIEF PLT EARLY WHICH I DID SHORTLY THEREAFTER. FOLLOWING MY BREAK, I RETURNED TO THE COPLT'S SEAT FOR APCH AND LNDG IN CHICAGO. THE CAPT, AT THE END OF HIS REST, WAS WORSE RATHER THAN BETTER AND ELECTED TO SIT IN THE SECOND JUMP SEAT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. AS SENIOR COPLT I FLEW THE APCH, LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. THE OTHER COPLTS OCCUPIED THE CAPT'S SEAT AND CTR JUMPSEAT AND OPERATED AS WE NORMALLY WOULD. THE FLT WAS OPERATIONALLY UNEVENTFUL. ALTHOUGH THE CAPT WAS NOT UNCONSCIOUS HIS ABILITY WAS IMPAIRED. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO SAY THAT HE WAS INCAPACITATED. HIS DECISION TO UTILIZE EXTRA CREW MEMBERS SHOWED GOOD JUDGEMENT IN THIS CASE. MANY PLTS WOULD HAVE BEEN TEMPTED TO 'TOUGH IT OUT' TO THE POSSIBLE DETRIMENT OF AIR 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.