Narrative:

We were cruising at an appropriate altitude eastbound from hawaii of FL340, which at a gross weight of 400000 pounds put us at just about our optimum altitude. There was no turbulence or WX reported or forecast along our route that night. The captain asked for a climb to FL360 which the performance charts showed we could not maintain even using maximum continous thrust. The captain had a known history of climbing to an altitude before the aircraft was light enough to maintain that altitude west/O excessive power. The climb was approved and he climbed us up to FL360 and as soon as the altitude hold engaged he went back to reading his newspaper. The aircraft speed started decaying however to the point where the autoplt couldn't hold us at an altitude and we started a gradual descent. The first officer pointed that out to the captain at about 35800 and then the captain continued the descent further to regain some airspeed. The first officer called commercial HF to inform them of our descent and as we regained some speed and leveled off at FL350 he suggested that we turn off the arwy until we had a new clearance. About then HF came back with a clearance to descend to FL340. The captain then got on the radio and started to argue with the radio operator for a climb back to FL360 while he was maintaining FL350. HF was able to obtain a climb again to FL360 which we then proceeded to do. By this time we had burned enough fuel to maintain FL360 using maximum continous thrust and still maintain our cruise mach speed. The captain never did turn off the arwy during the altitude excursions. His insistance on the higher altitude caused us to have a fuel burn for the leg that was about 4 percent higher than forecast in addition to the possible traffic conflict he caused. Supplemental information from acn 163173. The captain refused to descend as cleared by ATC saying it was ATC's job to provide sep. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The first officer had reported the incident to the associate professional standards committee and that the company is aware of this captain's attitude an refusal to comply with other company operating procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB GROSS ALT DEVIATION EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT TRYING TO FLY ABOVE OPTIMUM ALT ON OVER WATER FLT FROM HNL EASTBOUND.

Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT AN APPROPRIATE ALT EBND FROM HAWAII OF FL340, WHICH AT A GROSS WEIGHT OF 400000 LBS PUT US AT JUST ABOUT OUR OPTIMUM ALT. THERE WAS NO TURB OR WX RPTED OR FORECAST ALONG OUR RTE THAT NIGHT. THE CAPT ASKED FOR A CLB TO FL360 WHICH THE PERFORMANCE CHARTS SHOWED WE COULD NOT MAINTAIN EVEN USING MAX CONTINOUS THRUST. THE CAPT HAD A KNOWN HISTORY OF CLBING TO AN ALT BEFORE THE ACFT WAS LIGHT ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN THAT ALT W/O EXCESSIVE PWR. THE CLB WAS APPROVED AND HE CLBED US UP TO FL360 AND AS SOON AS THE ALT HOLD ENGAGED HE WENT BACK TO READING HIS NEWSPAPER. THE ACFT SPD STARTED DECAYING HOWEVER TO THE POINT WHERE THE AUTOPLT COULDN'T HOLD US AT AN ALT AND WE STARTED A GRADUAL DSNT. THE F/O POINTED THAT OUT TO THE CAPT AT ABOUT 35800 AND THEN THE CAPT CONTINUED THE DSNT FURTHER TO REGAIN SOME AIRSPD. THE F/O CALLED COMMERCIAL HF TO INFORM THEM OF OUR DSNT AND AS WE REGAINED SOME SPD AND LEVELED OFF AT FL350 HE SUGGESTED THAT WE TURN OFF THE ARWY UNTIL WE HAD A NEW CLRNC. ABOUT THEN HF CAME BACK WITH A CLRNC TO DSND TO FL340. THE CAPT THEN GOT ON THE RADIO AND STARTED TO ARGUE WITH THE RADIO OPERATOR FOR A CLB BACK TO FL360 WHILE HE WAS MAINTAINING FL350. HF WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN A CLB AGAIN TO FL360 WHICH WE THEN PROCEEDED TO DO. BY THIS TIME WE HAD BURNED ENOUGH FUEL TO MAINTAIN FL360 USING MAX CONTINOUS THRUST AND STILL MAINTAIN OUR CRUISE MACH SPD. THE CAPT NEVER DID TURN OFF THE ARWY DURING THE ALT EXCURSIONS. HIS INSISTANCE ON THE HIGHER ALT CAUSED US TO HAVE A FUEL BURN FOR THE LEG THAT WAS ABOUT 4 PERCENT HIGHER THAN FORECAST IN ADDITION TO THE POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICT HE CAUSED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 163173. THE CAPT REFUSED TO DSND AS CLRED BY ATC SAYING IT WAS ATC'S JOB TO PROVIDE SEP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE F/O HAD RPTED THE INCIDENT TO THE ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE AND THAT THE COMPANY IS AWARE OF THIS CAPT'S ATTITUDE AN REFUSAL TO COMPLY WITH OTHER COMPANY OPERATING PROC.

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.