Narrative:

Approximately 200 mi west of den, FL330, I was informed a ms a in seat XXX was hyperventilating due to some choppy air. After landing, I was told her assigned seat was YYY or yyz at row xx when she became ill and sat in XXX for initial treatment. We requested and climbed to FL350 where it was smooth. In rather quick order, I received reports that she was on oxygen. She was suffering or recovering from a mild seizure but being taken care of by a friend who was a doctor. Eventually dr B, chief of endocrinology at X medical school, told me that we had to get her on the ground. All this was compounded by the radio problems we were already having. We were trying to determine which microphone was sticking when all this occurred. Since my boom microphone seemed ok, I let the first officer fly while I handled the radio. The flight engineer was asked to get dispatch on the radio and to start dumping fuel. The flight engineer said he got ahold of den operations and asked them to relay our problem and diversion information to dispatch. Only later did I find out that dispatch was only told a DC10 was diverting to den and nothing else. The flight engineer stopped the fuel dump 10-15 mi out on final. We landed on runway 35L and parked at gate. Phone conversations with dispatch technical services and TRACON followed. Never having been to the new denver airport, we all were very unfamiliar with the arrival fix names, approachs and airport layout. I was trying to expedite my arrival and after being asked if I had the airport in sight, was cleared for a visual to runway 35L. Initially we lined up on runway 34 but were far enough out to correct alignment after a query by approach control. In our haste during descent, chart familiarization, and stuck mikes, I failed to notify ATC of our fuel dump until prompted by them. I did call TRACON after landing and explained my error and they were very understanding. The landing was made at 353000 pounds, at approximately 400 FPM, and was normal but firm. Brakes were lightly applied at 100 KTS and we exited the runway at taxiway M6. Taxi in was at moderate speed but brakes were used sparingly. Once at the gate, I was advised 1 brake on the left rear truck was smoking. Personal inspection showed it was of minimal heat. The ground crew did set up cool air to blow on it before we departed. Brake cooling chart was checked and it appeared we were well within limits. Phone calls to dispatch technical services and TRACON followed to clear up any misunderstanding, aircraft write-ups, and a new release. Ms a was taken to hospital with the paramedics suspecting a drug/alcohol overdose.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 ACFT IN CRUISE. A PAX BECAME ILL AND AN ONBOARD DOCTOR SAID SHE NEEDED TO GET ON THE GND FOR CARE. FLC DIVERTED, BUT FORGOT TO COORDINATE WITH ATC PRIOR TO DUMPING FUEL.

Narrative: APPROX 200 MI W OF DEN, FL330, I WAS INFORMED A MS A IN SEAT XXX WAS HYPERVENTILATING DUE TO SOME CHOPPY AIR. AFTER LNDG, I WAS TOLD HER ASSIGNED SEAT WAS YYY OR YYZ AT ROW XX WHEN SHE BECAME ILL AND SAT IN XXX FOR INITIAL TREATMENT. WE REQUESTED AND CLBED TO FL350 WHERE IT WAS SMOOTH. IN RATHER QUICK ORDER, I RECEIVED RPTS THAT SHE WAS ON OXYGEN. SHE WAS SUFFERING OR RECOVERING FROM A MILD SEIZURE BUT BEING TAKEN CARE OF BY A FRIEND WHO WAS A DOCTOR. EVENTUALLY DR B, CHIEF OF ENDOCRINOLOGY AT X MEDICAL SCHOOL, TOLD ME THAT WE HAD TO GET HER ON THE GND. ALL THIS WAS COMPOUNDED BY THE RADIO PROBS WE WERE ALREADY HAVING. WE WERE TRYING TO DETERMINE WHICH MIKE WAS STICKING WHEN ALL THIS OCCURRED. SINCE MY BOOM MIKE SEEMED OK, I LET THE FO FLY WHILE I HANDLED THE RADIO. THE FE WAS ASKED TO GET DISPATCH ON THE RADIO AND TO START DUMPING FUEL. THE FE SAID HE GOT AHOLD OF DEN OPS AND ASKED THEM TO RELAY OUR PROB AND DIVERSION INFO TO DISPATCH. ONLY LATER DID I FIND OUT THAT DISPATCH WAS ONLY TOLD A DC10 WAS DIVERTING TO DEN AND NOTHING ELSE. THE FE STOPPED THE FUEL DUMP 10-15 MI OUT ON FINAL. WE LANDED ON RWY 35L AND PARKED AT GATE. PHONE CONVERSATIONS WITH DISPATCH TECHNICAL SVCS AND TRACON FOLLOWED. NEVER HAVING BEEN TO THE NEW DENVER ARPT, WE ALL WERE VERY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARR FIX NAMES, APCHS AND ARPT LAYOUT. I WAS TRYING TO EXPEDITE MY ARR AND AFTER BEING ASKED IF I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 35L. INITIALLY WE LINED UP ON RWY 34 BUT WERE FAR ENOUGH OUT TO CORRECT ALIGNMENT AFTER A QUERY BY APCH CTL. IN OUR HASTE DURING DSCNT, CHART FAMILIARIZATION, AND STUCK MIKES, I FAILED TO NOTIFY ATC OF OUR FUEL DUMP UNTIL PROMPTED BY THEM. I DID CALL TRACON AFTER LNDG AND EXPLAINED MY ERROR AND THEY WERE VERY UNDERSTANDING. THE LNDG WAS MADE AT 353000 LBS, AT APPROX 400 FPM, AND WAS NORMAL BUT FIRM. BRAKES WERE LIGHTLY APPLIED AT 100 KTS AND WE EXITED THE RWY AT TXWY M6. TAXI IN WAS AT MODERATE SPD BUT BRAKES WERE USED SPARINGLY. ONCE AT THE GATE, I WAS ADVISED 1 BRAKE ON THE L REAR TRUCK WAS SMOKING. PERSONAL INSPECTION SHOWED IT WAS OF MINIMAL HEAT. THE GND CREW DID SET UP COOL AIR TO BLOW ON IT BEFORE WE DEPARTED. BRAKE COOLING CHART WAS CHKED AND IT APPEARED WE WERE WELL WITHIN LIMITS. PHONE CALLS TO DISPATCH TECHNICAL SVCS AND TRACON FOLLOWED TO CLR UP ANY MISUNDERSTANDING, ACFT WRITE-UPS, AND A NEW RELEASE. MS A WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL WITH THE PARAMEDICS SUSPECTING A DRUG/ALCOHOL OVERDOSE.

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.