Narrative:

With almost uncontrollable anger at a ZLA controller who blamed his mistake on us on the frequency, from that point on, I devoted 95% of my attention to venting my anger to the first officer. Maybe I should have confronted the controller, however, the frequency was too busy to clarify the situation. I distracted myself from flying the aircraft and I distraction the first officer from monitoring me. 15 mins later and 3 frequencys later, the first officer pointed out to me we were 180 KTS at FL328 climbing to FL350. No pre-stall warning had gone off yet. Since I realized we were behind power curve, I immediately and gently lowered the attitude of the aircraft and immediately requested FL310 from ZOA, which was approved. We descended, accelerating to cruise mach at FL310, thanking god for his benevolence and cursing me for my stupidity. Contributing factors: some frequencys are so crowded that the controllers talk as fast as the old federal express commercial. They are getting more difficult to understand, making more mistakes, and more often than in past yrs, blaming us (the pilots) for their mistakes. This has happened so frequently lately that for me, this one exceeded my tolerance to deal with it and my anger came out, albeit inappropriately. Factors affecting the quality of human performance: my personal life has had several stress peaks lately, and I have been aware of it. I had called trip because I knew I was too stressed to fly safely. Given all the above, this was totally my fault.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC'S AGGRESSIVE INTERACTION WITH ZLA AND FO LEADS TO POTENTIAL LOSS OF ACFT PERFORMANCE.

Narrative: WITH ALMOST UNCTLABLE ANGER AT A ZLA CTLR WHO BLAMED HIS MISTAKE ON US ON THE FREQ, FROM THAT POINT ON, I DEVOTED 95% OF MY ATTN TO VENTING MY ANGER TO THE FO. MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE CONFRONTED THE CTLR, HOWEVER, THE FREQ WAS TOO BUSY TO CLARIFY THE SIT. I DISTRACTED MYSELF FROM FLYING THE ACFT AND I DISTR THE FO FROM MONITORING ME. 15 MINS LATER AND 3 FREQS LATER, THE FO POINTED OUT TO ME WE WERE 180 KTS AT FL328 CLBING TO FL350. NO PRE-STALL WARNING HAD GONE OFF YET. SINCE I REALIZED WE WERE BEHIND PWR CURVE, I IMMEDIATELY AND GENTLY LOWERED THE ATTITUDE OF THE ACFT AND IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED FL310 FROM ZOA, WHICH WAS APPROVED. WE DSNDED, ACCELERATING TO CRUISE MACH AT FL310, THANKING GOD FOR HIS BENEVOLENCE AND CURSING ME FOR MY STUPIDITY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: SOME FREQS ARE SO CROWDED THAT THE CTLRS TALK AS FAST AS THE OLD FEDERAL EXPRESS COMMERCIAL. THEY ARE GETTING MORE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND, MAKING MORE MISTAKES, AND MORE OFTEN THAN IN PAST YRS, BLAMING US (THE PLTS) FOR THEIR MISTAKES. THIS HAS HAPPENED SO FREQUENTLY LATELY THAT FOR ME, THIS ONE EXCEEDED MY TOLERANCE TO DEAL WITH IT AND MY ANGER CAME OUT, ALBEIT INAPPROPRIATELY. FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE: MY PERSONAL LIFE HAS HAD SEVERAL STRESS PEAKS LATELY, AND I HAVE BEEN AWARE OF IT. I HAD CALLED TRIP BECAUSE I KNEW I WAS TOO STRESSED TO FLY SAFELY. GIVEN ALL THE ABOVE, THIS WAS TOTALLY MY FAULT.

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.