Narrative:

En route from lax to day at 37,000 a F/a called the cockpit and informed us that they were administering oxygen to a passenger and that they'd get back to us. We were about over pueblo, co at this time. When the F/a's did report back we were told that we had an elderly lady with chest pain who had prior heart trouble. In fact, she had a letter from her doctor stating that she was only to travel by air provided she use supplemental O2 at 4 liters per hour. (She never bothered to tell anybody.) as time went on, our passenger seemed to get worse so we requested to divert to mkc. We also requested 23,000. The captain was flying so I coordinated with dispatch and made sure they were aware of our situation and our needs. While level at 23,000 we were informed that our passenger was doing fine now and had no pain. At about the same time we were given descent to 10,000 and a vector for the ILS. The captain decided at this time that we may as well continue on the day. At this point we were still at 23,000. I told the controller that we had a change in plans and that we wanted clearance to day at 33,000 as our passenger was doing fine. I read back our clearance 'direct richmond direct dayton at FL230 and still requesting 330.' the captain started programming the FMC and I announced that I would be off the radio as I was going to call operations in mkc and let them know what we were doing. I called mkc operations and asked them to inform dispatch of our decision and to tell them that we would not be landing as planned. After finishing with them I went back to communication #1. I noticed the captain talking on the radio while I was talking to company. I noticed the captain talking on the radio while I was talking to company. Also I saw 330 in the altitude window on the MCP and asked him if we had been cleared to 330 while I was gone. While I was questioning him we were initiating a climb as he had already engaged VNAV. He replied that he thought we were cleared to 330 prior to my calling company. I told him that we were to maintain 230. He disconnected the autoplt and flew the airplane back down to 230.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM LAX TO DAY AT 37,000 A F/A CALLED THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED US THAT THEY WERE ADMINISTERING OXYGEN TO A PAX AND THAT THEY'D GET BACK TO US. WE WERE ABOUT OVER PUEBLO, CO AT THIS TIME. WHEN THE F/A'S DID REPORT BACK WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD AN ELDERLY LADY WITH CHEST PAIN WHO HAD PRIOR HEART TROUBLE. IN FACT, SHE HAD A LETTER FROM HER DOCTOR STATING THAT SHE WAS ONLY TO TRAVEL BY AIR PROVIDED SHE USE SUPPLEMENTAL O2 AT 4 LITERS PER HOUR. (SHE NEVER BOTHERED TO TELL ANYBODY.) AS TIME WENT ON, OUR PAX SEEMED TO GET WORSE SO WE REQUESTED TO DIVERT TO MKC. WE ALSO REQUESTED 23,000. THE CAPT WAS FLYING SO I COORDINATED WITH DISPATCH AND MADE SURE THEY WERE AWARE OF OUR SITUATION AND OUR NEEDS. WHILE LEVEL AT 23,000 WE WERE INFORMED THAT OUR PAX WAS DOING FINE NOW AND HAD NO PAIN. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE WERE GIVEN DSCNT TO 10,000 AND A VECTOR FOR THE ILS. THE CAPT DECIDED AT THIS TIME THAT WE MAY AS WELL CONTINUE ON THE DAY. AT THIS POINT WE WERE STILL AT 23,000. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE HAD A CHANGE IN PLANS AND THAT WE WANTED CLRNC TO DAY AT 33,000 AS OUR PAX WAS DOING FINE. I READ BACK OUR CLRNC 'DIRECT RICHMOND DIRECT DAYTON AT FL230 AND STILL REQUESTING 330.' THE CAPT STARTED PROGRAMMING THE FMC AND I ANNOUNCED THAT I WOULD BE OFF THE RADIO AS I WAS GOING TO CALL OPERATIONS IN MKC AND LET THEM KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING. I CALLED MKC OPERATIONS AND ASKED THEM TO INFORM DISPATCH OF OUR DECISION AND TO TELL THEM THAT WE WOULD NOT BE LNDG AS PLANNED. AFTER FINISHING WITH THEM I WENT BACK TO COM #1. I NOTICED THE CAPT TALKING ON THE RADIO WHILE I WAS TALKING TO COMPANY. I NOTICED THE CAPT TALKING ON THE RADIO WHILE I WAS TALKING TO COMPANY. ALSO I SAW 330 IN THE ALT WINDOW ON THE MCP AND ASKED HIM IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 330 WHILE I WAS GONE. WHILE I WAS QUESTIONING HIM WE WERE INITIATING A CLIMB AS HE HAD ALREADY ENGAGED VNAV. HE REPLIED THAT HE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO 330 PRIOR TO MY CALLING COMPANY. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE TO MAINTAIN 230. HE DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND FLEW THE AIRPLANE BACK DOWN TO 230.

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