Narrative:

Our original destination was ewr, but it was backed up, and we were sent into 2 holding patterns. Getting low on fuel, we diverted to jfk, our alternate. Over manhattan, our lead flight attendant came up and said a child in the back was sick, she had a 104 degree fever, had thrown up, and was crying unstably. The parents said her medicine was in a checked baggage, in the cargo hold. I sent the flight attendant back to look after the child further, and asked approach control if we might slip back into ewr, as we had a possible sick passenger. We were given a 220 degree vector. I called the flight attendant back, and he said the parents had disrobed the child and were applying ice to cool her off. As we were on international flight, and I wasn't familiar with customs in jfk, or how long it might be before the parents retrieved their medicine in the cargo hold, I declared an emergency and asked to land at ewr. The landing was uneventful. After the main cabin door was opened at the gate and I was able to check on the family myself, I saw that the child was quiet and normal-looking, with maybe a little flush in her cheeks. The 'medicine' in checked baggage turned out to be nothing more than children's tylenol! The paramedics asked a few questions and left. I almost felt like apologizing to the gate agent. But then again, it's better to be safe than sorry. (Next time, I'll have the flight attendant ask the parents 'what's the name of the illness.' if they said 'the flu,' I'll know better.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, DC10-30. HOLDING PATTERN OVER MANHATTAN, TRYING TO LAND IN EWR. SICK CHILD, MEDICAL EMER, STRAIGHT-IN LNDG. PARAMEDICS MET FLT.

Narrative: OUR ORIGINAL DEST WAS EWR, BUT IT WAS BACKED UP, AND WE WERE SENT INTO 2 HOLDING PATTERNS. GETTING LOW ON FUEL, WE DIVERTED TO JFK, OUR ALTERNATE. OVER MANHATTAN, OUR LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP AND SAID A CHILD IN THE BACK WAS SICK, SHE HAD A 104 DEG FEVER, HAD THROWN UP, AND WAS CRYING UNSTABLY. THE PARENTS SAID HER MEDICINE WAS IN A CHKED BAGGAGE, IN THE CARGO HOLD. I SENT THE FLT ATTENDANT BACK TO LOOK AFTER THE CHILD FURTHER, AND ASKED APCH CTL IF WE MIGHT SLIP BACK INTO EWR, AS WE HAD A POSSIBLE SICK PAX. WE WERE GIVEN A 220 DEG VECTOR. I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANT BACK, AND HE SAID THE PARENTS HAD DISROBED THE CHILD AND WERE APPLYING ICE TO COOL HER OFF. AS WE WERE ON INTL FLT, AND I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH CUSTOMS IN JFK, OR HOW LONG IT MIGHT BE BEFORE THE PARENTS RETRIEVED THEIR MEDICINE IN THE CARGO HOLD, I DECLARED AN EMER AND ASKED TO LAND AT EWR. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER THE MAIN CABIN DOOR WAS OPENED AT THE GATE AND I WAS ABLE TO CHK ON THE FAMILY MYSELF, I SAW THAT THE CHILD WAS QUIET AND NORMAL-LOOKING, WITH MAYBE A LITTLE FLUSH IN HER CHEEKS. THE 'MEDICINE' IN CHKED BAGGAGE TURNED OUT TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN CHILDREN'S TYLENOL! THE PARAMEDICS ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS AND LEFT. I ALMOST FELT LIKE APOLOGIZING TO THE GATE AGENT. BUT THEN AGAIN, IT'S BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (NEXT TIME, I'LL HAVE THE FLT ATTENDANT ASK THE PARENTS 'WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE ILLNESS.' IF THEY SAID 'THE FLU,' I'LL KNOW BETTER.)

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.