Narrative:

Location: payso intersection. En route, first officer flying, had just climbed to FL350 for traffic per ZAB when flight attendant in rear of aircraft called forward with a possible cardiac arrest in row xa. Flight attendant called for defibrillator unit. Made PA for physician and had an immediate response. Stayed on phone with cockpit. Physician initially said that it was not an arrest and advised continuation of flight. Within 1 min of that call, patient's blood pressure dropped and physician said to get on ground. All of this only took about 5 mins. I took control of aircraft and declared emergency, requesting direct phx. ZAB gave us an immediate turn and descent with clearance to airport. First officer, who is brand new to S80 and on probation, did a great job. Made divert message in ACARS, called phx operations to coordinate for gate. ZAB rolled the EMS folks and 20 mins later we touched down at phx. Exceeded the 250 KT speed limit below 10000 ft due to possible critical nature of patient. We blocked in 26 mins after the start of the event. Patient removed and is ok. Flight attendants did a particularly excellent job of coordinating and handling this event as did phx operations and ZAB. Departed phx 20 mins after block in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MEDICAL EMER OCCURS TO AN S80 IN CRUISE AT FL350 NE OF PHX, AZ. ACFT DIVERTS TO PHX.

Narrative: LOCATION: PAYSO INTXN. ENRTE, FO FLYING, HAD JUST CLBED TO FL350 FOR TFC PER ZAB WHEN FLT ATTENDANT IN REAR OF ACFT CALLED FORWARD WITH A POSSIBLE CARDIAC ARREST IN ROW XA. FLT ATTENDANT CALLED FOR DEFIBRILLATOR UNIT. MADE PA FOR PHYSICIAN AND HAD AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE. STAYED ON PHONE WITH COCKPIT. PHYSICIAN INITIALLY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT AN ARREST AND ADVISED CONTINUATION OF FLT. WITHIN 1 MIN OF THAT CALL, PATIENT'S BLOOD PRESSURE DROPPED AND PHYSICIAN SAID TO GET ON GND. ALL OF THIS ONLY TOOK ABOUT 5 MINS. I TOOK CTL OF ACFT AND DECLARED EMER, REQUESTING DIRECT PHX. ZAB GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE TURN AND DSCNT WITH CLRNC TO ARPT. FO, WHO IS BRAND NEW TO S80 AND ON PROBATION, DID A GREAT JOB. MADE DIVERT MESSAGE IN ACARS, CALLED PHX OPS TO COORDINATE FOR GATE. ZAB ROLLED THE EMS FOLKS AND 20 MINS LATER WE TOUCHED DOWN AT PHX. EXCEEDED THE 250 KT SPD LIMIT BELOW 10000 FT DUE TO POSSIBLE CRITICAL NATURE OF PATIENT. WE BLOCKED IN 26 MINS AFTER THE START OF THE EVENT. PATIENT REMOVED AND IS OK. FLT ATTENDANTS DID A PARTICULARLY EXCELLENT JOB OF COORDINATING AND HANDLING THIS EVENT AS DID PHX OPS AND ZAB. DEPARTED PHX 20 MINS AFTER BLOCK IN.

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.