Narrative:

We were flying at FL360. Approaching VOR the purser notified us that an elderly female passenger was experiencing chest pains and the flight attendants had begun administering oxygen. The purser called again to advise us that 2 nurses and a doctor were assessing the passenger. Her blood pressure was very high so they administered 'nitro' from the emergency kit and put her on the aed to monitor. I relayed all of this to dispatch via ACARS. I told the flight attendants we had 50 mins remaining to arrive. A few mins later the purser called to say the passenger was getting worse fast and the doctor recommended we land as soon as possible to get the passenger to the hospital. I sent an ACARS 'call me md.' the company doctor could not hear my xmissions so I told dispatch that; based on the urging of the doctor on board; we needed to land as soon as possible. We declared an emergency and with dispatch concurrence; we selected ZZZ as our divert airport; as it was directly below us with good WX. ATC assisted with our re-route; and we landed uneventfully. The tower directed us to where we should park. The paramedics came on board and took the passenger to the waiting ambulance. We then consulted with dispatch and maintenance control to have all of the necessary paperwork; information; and data for the subsequent takeoff. Our flight was uneventful. Some extra comments: while talking to dispatch during descent; I requested the following information: runway landing data and information on where we should go when we arrived. Also; we did not receive landing data from dispatch but our flight manual indicated we were within landing performance limits. ATC cleared us to land on runway which has a published length of 10000 ft. In the rush to land the airplane; I forgot to request NOTAMS from ACARS; but I was assuming the dispatcher ('one-stop-shopping') would provide any necessary information regarding the runway or airport when he sent us the landing data; which never came. Later; while preparing for departure; the dispatcher informed me over the phone that the northeast 770 ft of runway was closed. At that time we requested NOTAMS from ACARS which confirmed that fact. From this experience I have learned to not forget to check NOTAMS; and that I cannot expect the dispatcher to be able to provide all of the information necessary to be fully informed. Also; I am reminded to consult the diversion guide in the fom; even if there isn't much time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 DIVERTS FOR PAX ILLNESS; AND NEGLECTS TO INQUIRE ABOUT RECENT NOTAMS.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING AT FL360. APCHING VOR THE PURSER NOTIFIED US THAT AN ELDERLY FEMALE PAX WAS EXPERIENCING CHEST PAINS AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD BEGUN ADMINISTERING OXYGEN. THE PURSER CALLED AGAIN TO ADVISE US THAT 2 NURSES AND A DOCTOR WERE ASSESSING THE PAX. HER BLOOD PRESSURE WAS VERY HIGH SO THEY ADMINISTERED 'NITRO' FROM THE EMER KIT AND PUT HER ON THE AED TO MONITOR. I RELAYED ALL OF THIS TO DISPATCH VIA ACARS. I TOLD THE FLT ATTENDANTS WE HAD 50 MINS REMAINING TO ARRIVE. A FEW MINS LATER THE PURSER CALLED TO SAY THE PAX WAS GETTING WORSE FAST AND THE DOCTOR RECOMMENDED WE LAND ASAP TO GET THE PAX TO THE HOSPITAL. I SENT AN ACARS 'CALL ME MD.' THE COMPANY DOCTOR COULD NOT HEAR MY XMISSIONS SO I TOLD DISPATCH THAT; BASED ON THE URGING OF THE DOCTOR ON BOARD; WE NEEDED TO LAND ASAP. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND WITH DISPATCH CONCURRENCE; WE SELECTED ZZZ AS OUR DIVERT ARPT; AS IT WAS DIRECTLY BELOW US WITH GOOD WX. ATC ASSISTED WITH OUR RE-RTE; AND WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE TWR DIRECTED US TO WHERE WE SHOULD PARK. THE PARAMEDICS CAME ON BOARD AND TOOK THE PAX TO THE WAITING AMBULANCE. WE THEN CONSULTED WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL TO HAVE ALL OF THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK; INFO; AND DATA FOR THE SUBSEQUENT TKOF. OUR FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. SOME EXTRA COMMENTS: WHILE TALKING TO DISPATCH DURING DSCNT; I REQUESTED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RWY LNDG DATA AND INFO ON WHERE WE SHOULD GO WHEN WE ARRIVED. ALSO; WE DID NOT RECEIVE LNDG DATA FROM DISPATCH BUT OUR FLT MANUAL INDICATED WE WERE WITHIN LNDG PERFORMANCE LIMITS. ATC CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY WHICH HAS A PUBLISHED LENGTH OF 10000 FT. IN THE RUSH TO LAND THE AIRPLANE; I FORGOT TO REQUEST NOTAMS FROM ACARS; BUT I WAS ASSUMING THE DISPATCHER ('ONE-STOP-SHOPPING') WOULD PROVIDE ANY NECESSARY INFO REGARDING THE RWY OR ARPT WHEN HE SENT US THE LNDG DATA; WHICH NEVER CAME. LATER; WHILE PREPARING FOR DEP; THE DISPATCHER INFORMED ME OVER THE PHONE THAT THE NE 770 FT OF RWY WAS CLOSED. AT THAT TIME WE REQUESTED NOTAMS FROM ACARS WHICH CONFIRMED THAT FACT. FROM THIS EXPERIENCE I HAVE LEARNED TO NOT FORGET TO CHK NOTAMS; AND THAT I CANNOT EXPECT THE DISPATCHER TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ALL OF THE INFO NECESSARY TO BE FULLY INFORMED. ALSO; I AM REMINDED TO CONSULT THE DIVERSION GUIDE IN THE FOM; EVEN IF THERE ISN'T MUCH TIME.

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.