Passenger ill requested expedited descent landing.

Attributes
ACN	309472
Time
Date	199507
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mjzs
State Reference	PR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mjzs tower : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	309472
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

Flight attendant advised me that we had an unconscious passenger onboard and that they were requesting physician assistance onboard and that they would advise me. I requested direct routing to sju and descended to FL290 while speeding up. Later I declared emergency due to fact that passenger had a very low blood pressure, was semiconscious and that we only had an rn onboard. We requested paramedics meet the plane at gate from operations. We exceeded 250 KTS below 10000 ft into sju to expedite arrival. We were then advised by flight attendant that passenger was moved to first class to expedite medical assistance and that she was somewhat improved. However, they still wanted paramedics. Gate arrival was uneventful except that paramedics did not meet the aircraft as requested. Fortunately, passenger had revived and was able to exit the aircraft under her own power. Had this truly been life-threatening, I believe sju's response was insufficient to meet the possible emergency. Otherwise, the flight attendant's action and assistance from the rn was superlative.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX ILL REQUESTED EXPEDITED DSCNT LNDG.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED ME THAT WE HAD AN UNCONSCIOUS PAX ONBOARD AND THAT THEY WERE REQUESTING PHYSICIAN ASSISTANCE ONBOARD AND THAT THEY WOULD ADVISE ME. I REQUESTED DIRECT ROUTING TO SJU AND DSNDED TO FL290 WHILE SPDING UP. LATER I DECLARED EMER DUE TO FACT THAT PAX HAD A VERY LOW BLOOD PRESSURE, WAS SEMICONSCIOUS AND THAT WE ONLY HAD AN RN ONBOARD. WE REQUESTED PARAMEDICS MEET THE PLANE AT GATE FROM OPS. WE EXCEEDED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT INTO SJU TO EXPEDITE ARR. WE WERE THEN ADVISED BY FLT ATTENDANT THAT PAX WAS MOVED TO FIRST CLASS TO EXPEDITE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND THAT SHE WAS SOMEWHAT IMPROVED. HOWEVER, THEY STILL WANTED PARAMEDICS. GATE ARR WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT THAT PARAMEDICS DID NOT MEET THE ACFT AS REQUESTED. FORTUNATELY, PAX HAD REVIVED AND WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE ACFT UNDER HER OWN PWR. HAD THIS TRULY BEEN LIFE-THREATENING, I BELIEVE SJU'S RESPONSE WAS INSUFFICIENT TO MEET THE POSSIBLE EMER. OTHERWISE, THE FLT ATTENDANT'S ACTION AND ASSISTANCE FROM THE RN WAS SUPERLATIVE.

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.