Medical emergency with passenger behavior illness creates a flight crew distraction and an altitude deviation altitude overshot in descent. Flight crew deviation recovered when first officer notes altitude bust.

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Attributes
ACN	338390
Time
Date	199606
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5400 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 164 flight time total : 13847 flight time type : 2178
ASRS Report	338390
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	338809
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While being vectored for downwind position (runway 32) I was cleared to descend to 6000 ft. Approaching 6000 ft, the flight attendant came into the cockpit to inform me that a passenger was experiencing a possible medical emergency. At the same time approach control changed the runway to runway 28R. While attempting to coordinate with the company, ATC, first officer and flight attendant, I allowed the aircraft to descend to 5400 ft. As reiterated many, many times: fly the airplane first -- and be alert for red flags that indicate distraction from the primary concern of just that: flying the airplane. Supplemental information from acn 338809: we were descending on approach. Flight attendant came to cockpit about 8000-9000 ft to advise of a passenger medical emergency. Passenger chest pains, couldn't breathe, cold, clammy skin. Approach was advised and quickly descended us to 6000 ft and was going to give us short downwind, right base to runway 28R. While I was talking to them and looking for runway as we descended through cloud deck (broken) I noticed we had descended through 6000 to 5400 ft. Advised captain and we immediately climbed to 6000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEDICAL EMER WITH PAX BEHAVIOR ILLNESS CREATES A FLC DISTR AND AN ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT IN DSCNT. FLC DEV RECOVERED WHEN FO NOTES ALT BUST.

Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR DOWNWIND POS (RWY 32) I WAS CLRED TO DSND TO 6000 FT. APCHING 6000 FT, THE FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT TO INFORM ME THAT A PAX WAS EXPERIENCING A POSSIBLE MEDICAL EMER. AT THE SAME TIME APCH CTL CHANGED THE RWY TO RWY 28R. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO COORDINATE WITH THE COMPANY, ATC, FO AND FLT ATTENDANT, I ALLOWED THE ACFT TO DSND TO 5400 FT. AS REITERATED MANY, MANY TIMES: FLY THE AIRPLANE FIRST -- AND BE ALERT FOR RED FLAGS THAT INDICATE DISTR FROM THE PRIMARY CONCERN OF JUST THAT: FLYING THE AIRPLANE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 338809: WE WERE DSNDING ON APCH. FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO COCKPIT ABOUT 8000-9000 FT TO ADVISE OF A PAX MEDICAL EMER. PAX CHEST PAINS, COULDN'T BREATHE, COLD, CLAMMY SKIN. APCH WAS ADVISED AND QUICKLY DSNDED US TO 6000 FT AND WAS GOING TO GIVE US SHORT DOWNWIND, R BASE TO RWY 28R. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO THEM AND LOOKING FOR RWY AS WE DSNDED THROUGH CLOUD DECK (BROKEN) I NOTICED WE HAD DSNDED THROUGH 6000 TO 5400 FT. ADVISED CAPT AND WE IMMEDIATELY CLBED TO 6000 FT.

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.