Narrative:

Just after leveloff, first officer complained of slight abdominal pain and subsequently departed flight deck to restroom. After his return, I asked how he felt. He said about the same, but feeling ok. Approximately 1/2 hour later he said he needed to use restroom facilities again and departed flight deck. Upon return, I again inquired about how he was feeling. He said no better. I asked if he thought he would be ok to our destination (phx). He said he would. I radioed our dispatch and asked them to contact crew scheduling to have a replacement first officer, as my first officer was not feeling well. Approximately 30 mins later, first officer was obviously in extreme pain and needed immediate attention. I told ZDV I needed to divert to den immediately as first officer was having extreme abdominal pain. We were given immediate clearance direct den and emergency was declared. At same time the third flight attendant called me on the interphone. I explained the problem to her and asked her to tell the others. I then made a brief PA to passenger explaining what was going on and my intentions. Just after that, the first officer had another sharp pain to abdomen. Since cos was closer, I changed the diversion point with ATC and was given immediate clearance. Third flight attendant came to flight deck and took my ailing first officer back to aft galley area and introduced one of our A320 capts who offered his assistance. I gladly accepted and he assumed the first officer position. He ran communications, checklists and called company in cos. Approach and landing uneventful with priority handling all the way. Paramedics and ambulance met us at the gate. During the ordeal the flight attendants had summoned the help of a doctor who was on board. She attended to first officer until paramedics arrived on the aircraft. First officer was taken to nearby hospital. I telephoned hospital approximately 2 hours after our arrival in cos. I spoke with first officer. He said he was feeling a lot better but the doctors still weren't sure what had caused his severe pain. I suspect food poisoning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B737-300 DIVERTED TO ANOTHER ARPT DUE TO ILLNESS OF THE FO.

Narrative: JUST AFTER LEVELOFF, FO COMPLAINED OF SLIGHT ABDOMINAL PAIN AND SUBSEQUENTLY DEPARTED FLT DECK TO RESTROOM. AFTER HIS RETURN, I ASKED HOW HE FELT. HE SAID ABOUT THE SAME, BUT FEELING OK. APPROX 1/2 HR LATER HE SAID HE NEEDED TO USE RESTROOM FACILITIES AGAIN AND DEPARTED FLT DECK. UPON RETURN, I AGAIN INQUIRED ABOUT HOW HE WAS FEELING. HE SAID NO BETTER. I ASKED IF HE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE OK TO OUR DEST (PHX). HE SAID HE WOULD. I RADIOED OUR DISPATCH AND ASKED THEM TO CONTACT CREW SCHEDULING TO HAVE A REPLACEMENT FO, AS MY FO WAS NOT FEELING WELL. APPROX 30 MINS LATER, FO WAS OBVIOUSLY IN EXTREME PAIN AND NEEDED IMMEDIATE ATTN. I TOLD ZDV I NEEDED TO DIVERT TO DEN IMMEDIATELY AS FO WAS HAVING EXTREME ABDOMINAL PAIN. WE WERE GIVEN IMMEDIATE CLRNC DIRECT DEN AND EMER WAS DECLARED. AT SAME TIME THE THIRD FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ME ON THE INTERPHONE. I EXPLAINED THE PROB TO HER AND ASKED HER TO TELL THE OTHERS. I THEN MADE A BRIEF PA TO PAX EXPLAINING WHAT WAS GOING ON AND MY INTENTIONS. JUST AFTER THAT, THE FO HAD ANOTHER SHARP PAIN TO ABDOMEN. SINCE COS WAS CLOSER, I CHANGED THE DIVERSION POINT WITH ATC AND WAS GIVEN IMMEDIATE CLRNC. THIRD FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO FLT DECK AND TOOK MY AILING FO BACK TO AFT GALLEY AREA AND INTRODUCED ONE OF OUR A320 CAPTS WHO OFFERED HIS ASSISTANCE. I GLADLY ACCEPTED AND HE ASSUMED THE FO POS. HE RAN COMS, CHKLISTS AND CALLED COMPANY IN COS. APCH AND LNDG UNEVENTFUL WITH PRIORITY HANDLING ALL THE WAY. PARAMEDICS AND AMBULANCE MET US AT THE GATE. DURING THE ORDEAL THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD SUMMONED THE HELP OF A DOCTOR WHO WAS ON BOARD. SHE ATTENDED TO FO UNTIL PARAMEDICS ARRIVED ON THE ACFT. FO WAS TAKEN TO NEARBY HOSPITAL. I TELEPHONED HOSPITAL APPROX 2 HRS AFTER OUR ARR IN COS. I SPOKE WITH FO. HE SAID HE WAS FEELING A LOT BETTER BUT THE DOCTORS STILL WEREN'T SURE WHAT HAD CAUSED HIS SEVERE PAIN. I SUSPECT FOOD POISONING.

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.