Narrative:

At age 43 I had sent out wedding invitations for my very first marriage on 3/sat/89. On tue night an incident from my past resulted in the wedding being called off. I couldn't believe it and my mind went blank. My mind was drifting off on other thoughts constantly and was extremely stressed out on this 3 day trip, wed, thur, fri, mar/89. Incident: on climb out from iad, we were cleared a 350 degree heading to intercept J518. I, as first officer, was flying and was navigation off armel VOR. I told the captain I wanted him on bwi VOR (115.1). (He had put indian head VOR on his VOR while taxiing.) but when he didn't dial bwi in, I looked at my department chart, saw 112.1 which is martinsburg VOR and in the vicinity of J518. I dialed it in on the captain's VOR and made a comment that the changeover print on J518 was almost right at indian head (20 DME). The 300 degree right came alive and I turned to join. Departure control soon said we were, I think, 4 mi so of J518 and would have to top some traffic. Our clearance limit was 11000' and we were just passing 10000', but he never gave us a higher altitude. The controller again said we'd have to top some 15000' traffic, turned us to 040 degrees and gave us a higher altitude (like 190'?). I cranked in a right turn and started a quick climb. Then he said level off at 14000' as we went through about 13500' at a healthy rate of climb. I popped off the autoplt to make the quick adjustment and level off at 14000'. In fact, I really didn't hear the 14000' limit, only a transmission and the captain had to tell me of the 14000'. My mind felt so stressed out at this point I felt it could burst. I just couldn't handle the hurried and unexpected. I felt confused. My reaction was to call the chief pilot, hope he would understand my situation, and get me off the trip. I had this same confused feelings just before I came to work and couldn't get a car out of the driveway that was stuck in the snow (in msp). But I didn't for fear it would be received as a foolish request with the seemingly non understanding mgt at company airlines. I feel airlines should develop an open line to the chief pilot so that if domestic problems exist pilots will be able to remove themselves from flight in the interest of flight safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC DEVIATED FROM CLRNC ROUTE. FO BLAMES PERSONAL EMOTIONAL TRAUMA.

Narrative: AT AGE 43 I HAD SENT OUT WEDDING INVITATIONS FOR MY VERY FIRST MARRIAGE ON 3/SAT/89. ON TUE NIGHT AN INCIDENT FROM MY PAST RESULTED IN THE WEDDING BEING CALLED OFF. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT AND MY MIND WENT BLANK. MY MIND WAS DRIFTING OFF ON OTHER THOUGHTS CONSTANTLY AND WAS EXTREMELY STRESSED OUT ON THIS 3 DAY TRIP, WED, THUR, FRI, MAR/89. INCIDENT: ON CLBOUT FROM IAD, WE WERE CLRED A 350 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT J518. I, AS F/O, WAS FLYING AND WAS NAV OFF ARMEL VOR. I TOLD THE CAPT I WANTED HIM ON BWI VOR (115.1). (HE HAD PUT INDIAN HEAD VOR ON HIS VOR WHILE TAXIING.) BUT WHEN HE DIDN'T DIAL BWI IN, I LOOKED AT MY DEPT CHART, SAW 112.1 WHICH IS MARTINSBURG VOR AND IN THE VICINITY OF J518. I DIALED IT IN ON THE CAPT'S VOR AND MADE A COMMENT THAT THE CHANGEOVER PRINT ON J518 WAS ALMOST RIGHT AT INDIAN HEAD (20 DME). THE 300 DEG R CAME ALIVE AND I TURNED TO JOIN. DEP CTL SOON SAID WE WERE, I THINK, 4 MI SO OF J518 AND WOULD HAVE TO TOP SOME TFC. OUR CLRNC LIMIT WAS 11000' AND WE WERE JUST PASSING 10000', BUT HE NEVER GAVE US A HIGHER ALT. THE CTLR AGAIN SAID WE'D HAVE TO TOP SOME 15000' TFC, TURNED US TO 040 DEGS AND GAVE US A HIGHER ALT (LIKE 190'?). I CRANKED IN A RIGHT TURN AND STARTED A QUICK CLB. THEN HE SAID LEVEL OFF AT 14000' AS WE WENT THROUGH ABOUT 13500' AT A HEALTHY RATE OF CLB. I POPPED OFF THE AUTOPLT TO MAKE THE QUICK ADJUSTMENT AND LEVEL OFF AT 14000'. IN FACT, I REALLY DIDN'T HEAR THE 14000' LIMIT, ONLY A XMISSION AND THE CAPT HAD TO TELL ME OF THE 14000'. MY MIND FELT SO STRESSED OUT AT THIS POINT I FELT IT COULD BURST. I JUST COULDN'T HANDLE THE HURRIED AND UNEXPECTED. I FELT CONFUSED. MY REACTION WAS TO CALL THE CHIEF PLT, HOPE HE WOULD UNDERSTAND MY SITUATION, AND GET ME OFF THE TRIP. I HAD THIS SAME CONFUSED FEELINGS JUST BEFORE I CAME TO WORK AND COULDN'T GET A CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY THAT WAS STUCK IN THE SNOW (IN MSP). BUT I DIDN'T FOR FEAR IT WOULD BE RECEIVED AS A FOOLISH REQUEST WITH THE SEEMINGLY NON UNDERSTANDING MGT AT COMPANY AIRLINES. I FEEL AIRLINES SHOULD DEVELOP AN OPEN LINE TO THE CHIEF PLT SO THAT IF DOMESTIC PROBS EXIST PLTS WILL BE ABLE TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM FLT IN THE INTEREST OF FLT SAFETY.

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.