Narrative:

We were climbing to FL350 on departure at lax. Lax center cleared us direct thermal. Lax center called us with a new clearance and then advised, disregard, they'd call us back, turn 20 degree left. Lax center gave us a new clearance any direct parker. I picked up my charts to reprogram the FMS and the captain initiated a turn. Lax center then called us back and asked where we were going. I asked the captain if he was direct parker and he said yes - at the same time I looked at the FMS. We were going direct thermal. While I was programming the aircraft direct parker, I noticed the aircraft descending instead of climbing with a very low airspeed. Autopilot off. I grabbed the controls, added maximum continuous power and leveled off, while turning direct parker. Lax center was on the radio, very upset that because of our incorrect turn he'd had to divert other traffic. While all of this was happening, I noticed the captain was unresponsive. I knew that he was diet controled diabetic and told him to eat. He did, and became responsive in a few minutes. The rest of the trip proceeded normally. The situation occurred because the captain was becoming incapacitated and I was unaware of this until the wrong turn was made. This type of creeping incapacitation is particularly difficult to recognize and handle because you are not aware of any problem until something goes wrong, and then you have a whole lapfull of problems all at once.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INCAPACITATION OF THE CAPT, PF, RESULTS IN FAILING TO PROPERLY FOLLOW CLRNC TRACK AND EVASIVE ACTION BY CENTER CTLR OF ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: WE WERE CLIMBING TO FL350 ON DEP AT LAX. LAX CENTER CLRED US DIRECT THERMAL. LAX CENTER CALLED US WITH A NEW CLRNC AND THEN ADVISED, DISREGARD, THEY'D CALL US BACK, TURN 20 DEG LEFT. LAX CENTER GAVE US A NEW CLRNC ANY DIRECT PARKER. I PICKED UP MY CHARTS TO REPROGRAM THE FMS AND THE CAPT INITIATED A TURN. LAX CENTER THEN CALLED US BACK AND ASKED WHERE WE WERE GOING. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WAS DIRECT PARKER AND HE SAID YES - AT THE SAME TIME I LOOKED AT THE FMS. WE WERE GOING DIRECT THERMAL. WHILE I WAS PROGRAMMING THE ACFT DIRECT PARKER, I NOTICED THE ACFT DESCENDING INSTEAD OF CLIMBING WITH A VERY LOW AIRSPEED. AUTOPILOT OFF. I GRABBED THE CONTROLS, ADDED MAX CONTINUOUS POWER AND LEVELED OFF, WHILE TURNING DIRECT PARKER. LAX CENTER WAS ON THE RADIO, VERY UPSET THAT BECAUSE OF OUR INCORRECT TURN HE'D HAD TO DIVERT OTHER TFC. WHILE ALL OF THIS WAS HAPPENING, I NOTICED THE CAPT WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I KNEW THAT HE WAS DIET CTLED DIABETIC AND TOLD HIM TO EAT. HE DID, AND BECAME RESPONSIVE IN A FEW MINUTES. THE REST OF THE TRIP PROCEEDED NORMALLY. THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE THE CAPT WAS BECOMING INCAPACITATED AND I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS UNTIL THE WRONG TURN WAS MADE. THIS TYPE OF CREEPING INCAPACITATION IS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE AND HANDLE BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY PROBLEM UNTIL SOMETHING GOES WRONG, AND THEN YOU HAVE A WHOLE LAPFULL OF PROBLEMS ALL AT ONCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.