Narrative:

IOE trip #2 for transitioning captain. Started out with problems with a stretcher patient in sea. Delay in boarding, flight attendants concerned that passenger should not be going. Discussions with supervisors and station manager. Problem resolved, but flight attendants still not pleased with patient on board without medical supervision. Passenger was traveling with her daughter. Patient was a 72 yr old woman recovering from brain surgery. Operation left her without the ability to swallow so flight attendants were concerned that, with her position on the stretcher and the cruise body angle, that she would be choking on saliva. Immediately after takeoff, had a fluctuating duct pressure that continued throughout climb. Out of 10000 ft, had a discussion with maintenance control over problem. Continued monitoring problem. Just prior to yzt, flight attendants called and said the woman was in a lot of pain from pressure from fluids accumulating. Initiated contact over remote to dispatch and medical consultant. Had difficulty in talking with medical consultant and dispatch. Finally, used another flight for relay. This problem lasted about an hour. Short break and then by about 50 mi northwest of ann, started with more calls to medical consultant. Couldn't get a blood pressure reading that medlink needed to determine if needed to divert. Finally determined that continuation to anc was ok. Approximately 5 mins later, flight attendants were calling to be replaced in anc. More communications with sea over this matter. Started descent into anc. About 21000 ft maintenance called and needed information and troubleshooting on bleed problem. About 19000 ft, flight attendants called with 2 write-ups. Had logbook in lap trying to do write-ups coming through 18000 ft. Set altimeters, read checklist and finished off logbook. Cleared to 8000 ft on arrival. Approach said new ATIS for anc. Copying new ATIS, heard altitude alerter, captain called 9000 ft for 8000 ft. Acknowledged call. Looked up and saw my altimeter at 7600 ft. Verified that we were cleared to 8000 ft. Captain said yes, I took the airplane and initiated climb. Approach called at the same time to verify altitude. Advised we were correcting. Problem came about when captain set 30.43 and I had 29.43. When we did the instrument scan, I verified that the hundred foot needle was correct and missed that we were 1000 ft different. Problem came from being distraction and doing too many things at once. Contributing factor was a very experienced captain trainee and my putting too much reliance on his experience to back me up during a very busy time.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT OVERSHOT IN DSCNT BY AN OVERLOADED B734 FLT CREW 30 MI SE OF ANC, AK.

Narrative: IOE TRIP #2 FOR TRANSITIONING CAPT. STARTED OUT WITH PROBS WITH A STRETCHER PATIENT IN SEA. DELAY IN BOARDING, FLT ATTENDANTS CONCERNED THAT PAX SHOULD NOT BE GOING. DISCUSSIONS WITH SUPVRS AND STATION MGR. PROB RESOLVED, BUT FLT ATTENDANTS STILL NOT PLEASED WITH PATIENT ON BOARD WITHOUT MEDICAL SUPERVISION. PAX WAS TRAVELING WITH HER DAUGHTER. PATIENT WAS A 72 YR OLD WOMAN RECOVERING FROM BRAIN SURGERY. OP LEFT HER WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO SWALLOW SO FLT ATTENDANTS WERE CONCERNED THAT, WITH HER POS ON THE STRETCHER AND THE CRUISE BODY ANGLE, THAT SHE WOULD BE CHOKING ON SALIVA. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF, HAD A FLUCTUATING DUCT PRESSURE THAT CONTINUED THROUGHOUT CLB. OUT OF 10000 FT, HAD A DISCUSSION WITH MAINT CTL OVER PROB. CONTINUED MONITORING PROB. JUST PRIOR TO YZT, FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED AND SAID THE WOMAN WAS IN A LOT OF PAIN FROM PRESSURE FROM FLUIDS ACCUMULATING. INITIATED CONTACT OVER REMOTE TO DISPATCH AND MEDICAL CONSULTANT. HAD DIFFICULTY IN TALKING WITH MEDICAL CONSULTANT AND DISPATCH. FINALLY, USED ANOTHER FLT FOR RELAY. THIS PROB LASTED ABOUT AN HR. SHORT BREAK AND THEN BY ABOUT 50 MI NW OF ANN, STARTED WITH MORE CALLS TO MEDICAL CONSULTANT. COULDN'T GET A BLOOD PRESSURE READING THAT MEDLINK NEEDED TO DETERMINE IF NEEDED TO DIVERT. FINALLY DETERMINED THAT CONTINUATION TO ANC WAS OK. APPROX 5 MINS LATER, FLT ATTENDANTS WERE CALLING TO BE REPLACED IN ANC. MORE COMS WITH SEA OVER THIS MATTER. STARTED DSCNT INTO ANC. ABOUT 21000 FT MAINT CALLED AND NEEDED INFO AND TROUBLESHOOTING ON BLEED PROB. ABOUT 19000 FT, FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED WITH 2 WRITE-UPS. HAD LOGBOOK IN LAP TRYING TO DO WRITE-UPS COMING THROUGH 18000 FT. SET ALTIMETERS, READ CHKLIST AND FINISHED OFF LOGBOOK. CLRED TO 8000 FT ON ARR. APCH SAID NEW ATIS FOR ANC. COPYING NEW ATIS, HEARD ALT ALERTER, CAPT CALLED 9000 FT FOR 8000 FT. ACKNOWLEDGED CALL. LOOKED UP AND SAW MY ALTIMETER AT 7600 FT. VERIFIED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 8000 FT. CAPT SAID YES, I TOOK THE AIRPLANE AND INITIATED CLB. APCH CALLED AT THE SAME TIME TO VERIFY ALT. ADVISED WE WERE CORRECTING. PROB CAME ABOUT WHEN CAPT SET 30.43 AND I HAD 29.43. WHEN WE DID THE INST SCAN, I VERIFIED THAT THE HUNDRED FOOT NEEDLE WAS CORRECT AND MISSED THAT WE WERE 1000 FT DIFFERENT. PROB CAME FROM BEING DISTR AND DOING TOO MANY THINGS AT ONCE. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS A VERY EXPERIENCED CAPT TRAINEE AND MY PUTTING TOO MUCH RELIANCE ON HIS EXPERIENCE TO BACK ME UP DURING A VERY BUSY TIME.

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.