Medical emergency declared by a descending A319 PIC for a passenger that the flight attendants repor...

Attributes
ACN	625372
Time
Date	200407
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl single value : 12000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : l30.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	625372
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

Out of 12000 ft, flight attendant called cockpit to inform us that a passenger had stopped breathing and that we needed to land as soon as possible. The flight attendant informed us that there was no doctor on board. We declared a medical emergency with approach and were given clearance for a visual to runway 19L. We had very little time to make any calls other than those necessary for ATC. They advised us that they would have paramedics meet us at the gate and inform company. At about 3-5 mins from landing, the flight attendant told us that the passenger was breathing and looked fine. When we arrived at the gate, I told the passenger to remain seated until the medics came on board. The medics arrived about 5 mins after we arrived at the gate. By that time passenger were deplaning and the sick person was seen by the medics and released. From my standpoint we had very little information from the flight attendants. All we had to go on was the short statement, 'a man stopped breathing, we need to get on the ground as soon as possible.' after all the passenger had deplaned, I went back and had a debrief with the flight attendants and explained that the information they gave us was very limited and vague. I know they were looking out for the welfare of the passenger, but more information would have been helpful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEDICAL EMER DECLARED BY A DSNDING A319 PIC FOR A PAX THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED AS 'NOT BREATHING' WHILE ON FREQ WITH APCH CTL 25 MI NE OF ZZZ.

Narrative: OUT OF 12000 FT, FLT ATTENDANT CALLED COCKPIT TO INFORM US THAT A PAX HAD STOPPED BREATHING AND THAT WE NEEDED TO LAND ASAP. THE FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS NO DOCTOR ON BOARD. WE DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER WITH APCH AND WERE GIVEN CLRNC FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 19L. WE HAD VERY LITTLE TIME TO MAKE ANY CALLS OTHER THAN THOSE NECESSARY FOR ATC. THEY ADVISED US THAT THEY WOULD HAVE PARAMEDICS MEET US AT THE GATE AND INFORM COMPANY. AT ABOUT 3-5 MINS FROM LNDG, THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD US THAT THE PAX WAS BREATHING AND LOOKED FINE. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE, I TOLD THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED UNTIL THE MEDICS CAME ON BOARD. THE MEDICS ARRIVED ABOUT 5 MINS AFTER WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE. BY THAT TIME PAX WERE DEPLANING AND THE SICK PERSON WAS SEEN BY THE MEDICS AND RELEASED. FROM MY STANDPOINT WE HAD VERY LITTLE INFO FROM THE FLT ATTENDANTS. ALL WE HAD TO GO ON WAS THE SHORT STATEMENT, 'A MAN STOPPED BREATHING, WE NEED TO GET ON THE GND ASAP.' AFTER ALL THE PAX HAD DEPLANED, I WENT BACK AND HAD A DEBRIEF WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND EXPLAINED THAT THE INFO THEY GAVE US WAS VERY LIMITED AND VAGUE. I KNOW THEY WERE LOOKING OUT FOR THE WELFARE OF THE PAX, BUT MORE INFO WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL.

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.

Medical emergency declared by a descending A319 PIC for a passenger that the flight attendants reported as 'not breathing' while on frequency with approach control 25 mi northeast of ZZZ.