Narrative:

The copilot, who was normally a prompt individual, was 45 mins late. He informed the captain during the taxi-out that he had had a bad weekend. He had moved into a new house and his wife had almost lost their baby, as well as her own life. The captain thought that he should be at home, not in the aircraft. The first leg was uneventful. After departing gfl with our passenger, an IFR to montreal was picked up and we were cleared to 5000', then immediately handed off from alb to bos. 5000' was set in the altitude selector, but the tone on the warning device had been intermittent. A routing that was not as direct had been received up V91 over btv, rather than V487 over plattsburg. The copilot, instead of listening to the captain, because more of a hinderance than a help as he challenged the captain on the routing. Bos then cleared us up V487 and the captain turned the aircraft in that direction. The controller then asked what altitude had been assigned to us. Before the captain could answer, the copilot picked up the microphone and stuttered. The aircraft was passing through 6000'. The copilot then replied, '6000.' we were then cleared to 13000' west/O any question. The rest of the flight proved to be a headache for the captain, with the copilot getting overly angry at insignificant things. He was a useless crew member. The captain should have gone to the single pilot mode sooner than she did. We should not rely on a crew member under extreme stress, no matter how good they usually are.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR FLT CREW OF SMT CLEARED 5000' CLIMBED TO 6000'. ZBW QUERIED AND CLEARED FLT TO 13000'.

Narrative: THE COPLT, WHO WAS NORMALLY A PROMPT INDIVIDUAL, WAS 45 MINS LATE. HE INFORMED THE CAPT DURING THE TAXI-OUT THAT HE HAD HAD A BAD WEEKEND. HE HAD MOVED INTO A NEW HOUSE AND HIS WIFE HAD ALMOST LOST THEIR BABY, AS WELL AS HER OWN LIFE. THE CAPT THOUGHT THAT HE SHOULD BE AT HOME, NOT IN THE ACFT. THE FIRST LEG WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER DEPARTING GFL WITH OUR PAX, AN IFR TO MONTREAL WAS PICKED UP AND WE WERE CLRED TO 5000', THEN IMMEDIATELY HANDED OFF FROM ALB TO BOS. 5000' WAS SET IN THE ALT SELECTOR, BUT THE TONE ON THE WARNING DEVICE HAD BEEN INTERMITTENT. A ROUTING THAT WAS NOT AS DIRECT HAD BEEN RECEIVED UP V91 OVER BTV, RATHER THAN V487 OVER PLATTSBURG. THE COPLT, INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO THE CAPT, BECAUSE MORE OF A HINDERANCE THAN A HELP AS HE CHALLENGED THE CAPT ON THE ROUTING. BOS THEN CLRED US UP V487 AND THE CAPT TURNED THE ACFT IN THAT DIRECTION. THE CTLR THEN ASKED WHAT ALT HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO US. BEFORE THE CAPT COULD ANSWER, THE COPLT PICKED UP THE MIC AND STUTTERED. THE ACFT WAS PASSING THROUGH 6000'. THE COPLT THEN REPLIED, '6000.' WE WERE THEN CLRED TO 13000' W/O ANY QUESTION. THE REST OF THE FLT PROVED TO BE A HEADACHE FOR THE CAPT, WITH THE COPLT GETTING OVERLY ANGRY AT INSIGNIFICANT THINGS. HE WAS A USELESS CREW MEMBER. THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE GONE TO THE SINGLE PLT MODE SOONER THAN SHE DID. WE SHOULD NOT RELY ON A CREW MEMBER UNDER EXTREME STRESS, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THEY USUALLY ARE.

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.