During an atlantic crossing several passenger became ill. Encountering poor communication with groun...

Attributes
ACN	647575
Time
Date	200502
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bikf.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 37000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : eggx.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	647676
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event : passenger illness
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

After 4 hour delay due to mechanical taxiing out then return to blocks and change planes; only a few mins before going illegal. En route; the chief purser informed me a passenger was sick but responding to oxygen. An rn with difficulty understanding english was only one to respond. We sent information to dispatch then a second; third and fourth passenger got sick. Mrs X got worse and better than worse. Airphones were dispatched inoperative; 'satvoice' was too low power and wouldn't work and sun spots made localizer HF bad so was unable to understand company doctor when rn and chief purser said we have to get her on the ground now so I told dispatch we were going to bikf got clearance. On the ground a 5TH passenger collapsed and was treated by paramedics. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the flight was eastbound to europe. The multiple problems that prevented good communication with ground support personnel left little choice; but to go with the advice of onboard nurse to make the divert decision. The passenger was determined after the fact to be having heart problems resulting in a four day stay in the hospital at the diversion station. The remaining passenger with health problems were found to have unrelated problems with no common cause.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING AN ATLANTIC XING SEVERAL PAX BECAME ILL. ENCOUNTERING POOR COM WITH GND ASSISTANCE; THE CREW MADE A DECISION TO DIVERT FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

Narrative: AFTER 4 HR DELAY DUE TO MECHANICAL TAXIING OUT THEN RETURN TO BLOCKS AND CHANGE PLANES; ONLY A FEW MINS BEFORE GOING ILLEGAL. ENRTE; THE CHIEF PURSER INFORMED ME A PAX WAS SICK BUT RESPONDING TO OXYGEN. AN RN WITH DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH WAS ONLY ONE TO RESPOND. WE SENT INFO TO DISPATCH THEN A SECOND; THIRD AND FOURTH PAX GOT SICK. MRS X GOT WORSE AND BETTER THAN WORSE. AIRPHONES WERE DISPATCHED INOP; 'SATVOICE' WAS TOO LOW PWR AND WOULDN'T WORK AND SUN SPOTS MADE LOC HF BAD SO WAS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND COMPANY DOCTOR WHEN RN AND CHIEF PURSER SAID WE HAVE TO GET HER ON THE GND NOW SO I TOLD DISPATCH WE WERE GOING TO BIKF GOT CLRNC. ON THE GND A 5TH PAX COLLAPSED AND WAS TREATED BY PARAMEDICS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FLT WAS EBOUND TO EUROPE. THE MULTIPLE PROBS THAT PREVENTED GOOD COM WITH GND SUPPORT PERSONNEL LEFT LITTLE CHOICE; BUT TO GO WITH THE ADVICE OF ONBOARD NURSE TO MAKE THE DIVERT DECISION. THE PAX WAS DETERMINED AFTER THE FACT TO BE HAVING HEART PROBS RESULTING IN A FOUR DAY STAY IN THE HOSPITAL AT THE DIVERSION STATION. THE REMAINING PAX WITH HEALTH PROBS WERE FOUND TO HAVE UNRELATED PROBS WITH NO COMMON CAUSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

During an atlantic crossing several passenger became ill. Encountering poor communication with ground assistance; the crew made a decision to divert for medical assistance.