Narrative:

Picked up 3 passenger in sml for return flight to fll. Approximately 40 mins after departure, passenger informed me he was ill. He moved up closer where I could speak with him. He looked nervous and had sweat running on his face. He said he was having trouble breathing and inquired our altitude. I informed him 8000 ft, lower than normal due to headwinds. I asked if he was in pain, ie, heart attack. He said no, and wished to try a lower altitude to see if that was the problem. I informed the center of our problem and they cleared me to 6000 ft. I asked the passenger a lot of questions regarding his symptoms and schedule over the past few days. I felt his pulse and head -- he seemed normal, just very anxious. I pointed out nassau to him and said we could land there if he preferred, that fll was a bit over an hour away. He asked about their medical facilities, and decided it would be in his best interest to go to fll. I gave all the information I had to the center and requested EMS to meet the flight. The passenger had now stopped sweating and I again asked for a lower altitude. He said he was now feeling better. I was given priority into fll. I did inform center of the condition, but retained the priority clearance anyway and the company had ambulance standing by. I left the passenger in the paramedic's capable hands and escorted the other folks to customs. On returning to the ramp, EMS informed me the passenger elected to take his own car home! In my unprofessional opinion, and that of EMS, he was having an anxiety attack. My compliments to ZMA, NAS approach, and mia approach and fll tower for their concern and expeditious handling and arranging altitudes normally not available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PAX TOLD PLT HE WAS SICK. PLT REQUESTED LOWER ALT, AT PAX REQUEST, AND PLT ALSO ASKED FOR PRIORITY HANDLING, ALERTED ARPT AND COMPANY TO HAVE EMER MEDICAL CREW MEET ACFT. PAX RECOVERED AND MEDICAL NOT REQUIRED. PROBABLE PAX PANIC ATTACK.

Narrative: PICKED UP 3 PAX IN SML FOR RETURN FLT TO FLL. APPROX 40 MINS AFTER DEP, PAX INFORMED ME HE WAS ILL. HE MOVED UP CLOSER WHERE I COULD SPEAK WITH HIM. HE LOOKED NERVOUS AND HAD SWEAT RUNNING ON HIS FACE. HE SAID HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING AND INQUIRED OUR ALT. I INFORMED HIM 8000 FT, LOWER THAN NORMAL DUE TO HEADWINDS. I ASKED IF HE WAS IN PAIN, IE, HEART ATTACK. HE SAID NO, AND WISHED TO TRY A LOWER ALT TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE PROB. I INFORMED THE CTR OF OUR PROB AND THEY CLRED ME TO 6000 FT. I ASKED THE PAX A LOT OF QUESTIONS REGARDING HIS SYMPTOMS AND SCHEDULE OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. I FELT HIS PULSE AND HEAD -- HE SEEMED NORMAL, JUST VERY ANXIOUS. I POINTED OUT NASSAU TO HIM AND SAID WE COULD LAND THERE IF HE PREFERRED, THAT FLL WAS A BIT OVER AN HR AWAY. HE ASKED ABOUT THEIR MEDICAL FACILITIES, AND DECIDED IT WOULD BE IN HIS BEST INTEREST TO GO TO FLL. I GAVE ALL THE INFO I HAD TO THE CTR AND REQUESTED EMS TO MEET THE FLT. THE PAX HAD NOW STOPPED SWEATING AND I AGAIN ASKED FOR A LOWER ALT. HE SAID HE WAS NOW FEELING BETTER. I WAS GIVEN PRIORITY INTO FLL. I DID INFORM CTR OF THE CONDITION, BUT RETAINED THE PRIORITY CLRNC ANYWAY AND THE COMPANY HAD AMBULANCE STANDING BY. I LEFT THE PAX IN THE PARAMEDIC'S CAPABLE HANDS AND ESCORTED THE OTHER FOLKS TO CUSTOMS. ON RETURNING TO THE RAMP, EMS INFORMED ME THE PAX ELECTED TO TAKE HIS OWN CAR HOME! IN MY UNPROFESSIONAL OPINION, AND THAT OF EMS, HE WAS HAVING AN ANXIETY ATTACK. MY COMPLIMENTS TO ZMA, NAS APCH, AND MIA APCH AND FLL TWR FOR THEIR CONCERN AND EXPEDITIOUS HANDLING AND ARRANGING ALTS NORMALLY NOT AVAILABLE.

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.