Narrative:

About an hour south of pek the a flight attendant informs me that a woman 12 weeks pregnant and having vaginal bleeding. No doctors on board the plane except for a non credentialed nurse and her husband; an oral surgeon. The doctor informs me that the bleeding may stop. I couldn't take any chance continuing on the hostile POLAR4. The next chance to 'pull over' would be duluth. After talking with dispatch and an ambiguous company doctor; I decided to turn right 45 degrees and head to nrt. I'm looking at dealing with paranoid chinese ATC auths and its difficult dealing with any dynamics in clrncs; much less a clearance for an emergency fuel dump. My decision to press closer to our objective; ZZZ by stopping in nrt where the woman would receive better care and our support system would facilitate a quicker gas and go. Besides; I wouldn't have to dump as much of our precious fuel by pressing to nrt. The doctor told me that we'll have to stop within the next several hours. Either way; I would be in the air for at least 2 hours; dumping and coordinating over pek; or on to nrt. Both the dispatcher and myself were overridden by an operations man who insisted on stopping in pek. I informed him that we would be dumping a quarter million pounds of fuel; and it would be a potential bureaucratic problem environmentally and customs problems for the woman. He wouldn't pick up the satcom to explain but the dispatcher explained that he was concerned about the flight attendant walking. They wouldn't; but not germaine. I refused to do a heavy landing; and placing the plane and the passenger in harm's way and dumped down to a comfortable weight for a non eventful landing. We refueled and continued to ZZZ. How can a clerical worker without a license override decisions made by the dispatcher and captain? Broken system?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CREW DUMPS FUEL AND DIVERTS IN CHINESE AIRSPACE FOR MEDICAL EMER.

Narrative: ABOUT AN HR S OF PEK THE A FLT ATTENDANT INFORMS ME THAT A WOMAN 12 WKS PREGNANT AND HAVING VAGINAL BLEEDING. NO DOCTORS ON BOARD THE PLANE EXCEPT FOR A NON CREDENTIALED NURSE AND HER HUSBAND; AN ORAL SURGEON. THE DOCTOR INFORMS ME THAT THE BLEEDING MAY STOP. I COULDN'T TAKE ANY CHANCE CONTINUING ON THE HOSTILE POLAR4. THE NEXT CHANCE TO 'PULL OVER' WOULD BE DULUTH. AFTER TALKING WITH DISPATCH AND AN AMBIGUOUS COMPANY DOCTOR; I DECIDED TO TURN R 45 DEGS AND HEAD TO NRT. I'M LOOKING AT DEALING WITH PARANOID CHINESE ATC AUTHS AND ITS DIFFICULT DEALING WITH ANY DYNAMICS IN CLRNCS; MUCH LESS A CLRNC FOR AN EMER FUEL DUMP. MY DECISION TO PRESS CLOSER TO OUR OBJECTIVE; ZZZ BY STOPPING IN NRT WHERE THE WOMAN WOULD RECEIVE BETTER CARE AND OUR SUPPORT SYS WOULD FACILITATE A QUICKER GAS AND GO. BESIDES; I WOULDN'T HAVE TO DUMP AS MUCH OF OUR PRECIOUS FUEL BY PRESSING TO NRT. THE DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT WE'LL HAVE TO STOP WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL HRS. EITHER WAY; I WOULD BE IN THE AIR FOR AT LEAST 2 HRS; DUMPING AND COORDINATING OVER PEK; OR ON TO NRT. BOTH THE DISPATCHER AND MYSELF WERE OVERRIDDEN BY AN OPS MAN WHO INSISTED ON STOPPING IN PEK. I INFORMED HIM THAT WE WOULD BE DUMPING A QUARTER MILLION LBS OF FUEL; AND IT WOULD BE A POTENTIAL BUREAUCRATIC PROB ENVIRONMENTALLY AND CUSTOMS PROBS FOR THE WOMAN. HE WOULDN'T PICK UP THE SATCOM TO EXPLAIN BUT THE DISPATCHER EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE FLT ATTENDANT WALKING. THEY WOULDN'T; BUT NOT GERMAINE. I REFUSED TO DO A HVY LNDG; AND PLACING THE PLANE AND THE PAX IN HARM'S WAY AND DUMPED DOWN TO A COMFORTABLE WT FOR A NON EVENTFUL LNDG. WE REFUELED AND CONTINUED TO ZZZ. HOW CAN A CLERICAL WORKER WITHOUT A LICENSE OVERRIDE DECISIONS MADE BY THE DISPATCHER AND CAPT? BROKEN SYS?

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.