Narrative:

We had to divert on a flight from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2. A passenger collapsed. Flight attendants notified me immediately which gave me some time to organize a diversion if we decided it was necessary. We were 80 mi west of ZZZ3. 2 doctors responded and reported that the passenger was in medical distress and needed to get more assistance than we had on the aircraft. The passenger was a 71 yr old man and was in and out of consciousness. I had talked to ZZZ3 operations telling them of the possibility of a diversion. When we decided to divert (130 mi west of ZZZ3) we had pulled up the WX and the ATIS and the charts for ZZZ3. Controller gave us immediate vectors for the arrival in ZZZ3 after we had declared a medical emergency. I called for the relief pilot to come to the cockpit. He handled all communications between the station and the flight attendants and us. He attempted to use both satcoms; but got busy signals with each one even when using higher priorities for the calls. Handling from the controllers was very expeditious; including giving us the requested runway; with 1 exception -- a 20 mi final. Ground control allowed us to clear the runway and go immediately to the hard stand. Station personnel and paramedics were waiting. All in all; it was very good service from controllers and station personnel. Only when on the ground did we get a satcom connection with dispatch. At that point the station paramedics thought that the man had suffered a stroke. Later dispatch was able to tell us that the man had actually taken too many sleeping pills. Neither he nor his family spoke english. I don't think; under the circumstances; that it was possible to get the medications information. And even if his problem was self-inflicted; he was still in considerable distress; and I believe the divert was warranted. The landing was overweight; touchdown normal -- in fact; probably the smoothest I made all month. While it was the first officer's leg; I decided to make the landing because it was an emergency. I did not elect to dump fuel; and since the weight was just under 360000 pounds; I used 25 degree flaps. I used somewhat heavy braking to make the closest turnoff. When the chocks were in place; I released the parking brakes. The crash fire rescue equipment crew had a laser temperature reader; and gave us temperatures for each wheel. Overweight landing inspection was accomplished.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW RPTS MEDICAL EMER ON FLT AND SUBSEQUENT DIVERSION.

Narrative: WE HAD TO DIVERT ON A FLT FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2. A PAX COLLAPSED. FLT ATTENDANTS NOTIFIED ME IMMEDIATELY WHICH GAVE ME SOME TIME TO ORGANIZE A DIVERSION IF WE DECIDED IT WAS NECESSARY. WE WERE 80 MI W OF ZZZ3. 2 DOCTORS RESPONDED AND RPTED THAT THE PAX WAS IN MEDICAL DISTRESS AND NEEDED TO GET MORE ASSISTANCE THAN WE HAD ON THE ACFT. THE PAX WAS A 71 YR OLD MAN AND WAS IN AND OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS. I HAD TALKED TO ZZZ3 OPS TELLING THEM OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A DIVERSION. WHEN WE DECIDED TO DIVERT (130 MI W OF ZZZ3) WE HAD PULLED UP THE WX AND THE ATIS AND THE CHARTS FOR ZZZ3. CTLR GAVE US IMMEDIATE VECTORS FOR THE ARR IN ZZZ3 AFTER WE HAD DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER. I CALLED FOR THE RELIEF PLT TO COME TO THE COCKPIT. HE HANDLED ALL COMS BTWN THE STATION AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND US. HE ATTEMPTED TO USE BOTH SATCOMS; BUT GOT BUSY SIGNALS WITH EACH ONE EVEN WHEN USING HIGHER PRIORITIES FOR THE CALLS. HANDLING FROM THE CTLRS WAS VERY EXPEDITIOUS; INCLUDING GIVING US THE REQUESTED RWY; WITH 1 EXCEPTION -- A 20 MI FINAL. GND CTL ALLOWED US TO CLR THE RWY AND GO IMMEDIATELY TO THE HARD STAND. STATION PERSONNEL AND PARAMEDICS WERE WAITING. ALL IN ALL; IT WAS VERY GOOD SVC FROM CTLRS AND STATION PERSONNEL. ONLY WHEN ON THE GND DID WE GET A SATCOM CONNECTION WITH DISPATCH. AT THAT POINT THE STATION PARAMEDICS THOUGHT THAT THE MAN HAD SUFFERED A STROKE. LATER DISPATCH WAS ABLE TO TELL US THAT THE MAN HAD ACTUALLY TAKEN TOO MANY SLEEPING PILLS. NEITHER HE NOR HIS FAMILY SPOKE ENGLISH. I DON'T THINK; UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES; THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO GET THE MEDICATIONS INFO. AND EVEN IF HIS PROB WAS SELF-INFLICTED; HE WAS STILL IN CONSIDERABLE DISTRESS; AND I BELIEVE THE DIVERT WAS WARRANTED. THE LNDG WAS OVERWT; TOUCHDOWN NORMAL -- IN FACT; PROBABLY THE SMOOTHEST I MADE ALL MONTH. WHILE IT WAS THE FO'S LEG; I DECIDED TO MAKE THE LNDG BECAUSE IT WAS AN EMER. I DID NOT ELECT TO DUMP FUEL; AND SINCE THE WT WAS JUST UNDER 360000 LBS; I USED 25 DEG FLAPS. I USED SOMEWHAT HVY BRAKING TO MAKE THE CLOSEST TURNOFF. WHEN THE CHOCKS WERE IN PLACE; I RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKES. THE CFR CREW HAD A LASER TEMP READER; AND GAVE US TEMPS FOR EACH WHEEL. OVERWT LNDG INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED.

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.