Narrative:

On the ground in phl; we were late due to loading and a late inbound aircraft. Maintenance was working a repetitive item on the #1 engine. During my preflight; I found the #2 ADF inoperative; and called maintenance. We called for the clearance and during the readback; both mechanics came into the cockpit to work the problem. Our clearance changed from ditch..J225..jfk to ditch..V312..drift..J121..hto. We (captain and first officer) discussed the route change and then I began to interact with maintenance over the problem. I then got up and briefed the jumpseaters; returned to my seat; and became involved with the maintenance issue again. We were already 30 mins late; and were trying to move things along. The load supervisor showed up with the weight and balance; and maintenance deferred the item. We finished getting the aircraft ready; started engines and taxied out to the runway. Never did I check if the new route was updated in the FMC; because I was so sidetracked with everything else going on. Takeoff was normal; and then we were given direct ditch; flight planned route; climb to 17000 ft. The aircraft started making the turn to J225 and ATC asked if we were turning to join V312. ATC then gave us a 090 degree heading; and supposedly told us to level off 16000 ft. Myself; the first officer; nor a jumpseater listening to the radio heard the 16000 ft clearance. But then again there was a lot going on with traffic and fixing the routing issue. ATC then (level at 17000 ft) said 'I told you to level at 16000 ft; immediately turn left to a heading of 010 degrees; tight turn!' ATC then told another aircraft to turn left 20 degrees tight turn! Solutions: after the rerte; I should have made sure the routing in the FMC was correct before we did anything else. I could have interacted with maintenance after I was sure the FMC update was complete. Then during a routing anomaly; I should have managed the situation better as far as hearing the clearance altitude change. We were so focused on getting the correct route into the FMC (kind of the one track mindset) that we may have missed the other important part; the altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV AND LOSS OF SEPARATION RESULT FROM MAINT AND RTE PROGRAMMING DISTRS DURING PREFLT.

Narrative: ON THE GND IN PHL; WE WERE LATE DUE TO LOADING AND A LATE INBOUND ACFT. MAINT WAS WORKING A REPETITIVE ITEM ON THE #1 ENG. DURING MY PREFLT; I FOUND THE #2 ADF INOP; AND CALLED MAINT. WE CALLED FOR THE CLRNC AND DURING THE READBACK; BOTH MECHS CAME INTO THE COCKPIT TO WORK THE PROB. OUR CLRNC CHANGED FROM DITCH..J225..JFK TO DITCH..V312..DRIFT..J121..HTO. WE (CAPT AND FO) DISCUSSED THE RTE CHANGE AND THEN I BEGAN TO INTERACT WITH MAINT OVER THE PROB. I THEN GOT UP AND BRIEFED THE JUMPSEATERS; RETURNED TO MY SEAT; AND BECAME INVOLVED WITH THE MAINT ISSUE AGAIN. WE WERE ALREADY 30 MINS LATE; AND WERE TRYING TO MOVE THINGS ALONG. THE LOAD SUPVR SHOWED UP WITH THE WT AND BAL; AND MAINT DEFERRED THE ITEM. WE FINISHED GETTING THE ACFT READY; STARTED ENGS AND TAXIED OUT TO THE RWY. NEVER DID I CHK IF THE NEW RTE WAS UPDATED IN THE FMC; BECAUSE I WAS SO SIDETRACKED WITH EVERYTHING ELSE GOING ON. TKOF WAS NORMAL; AND THEN WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT DITCH; FLT PLANNED RTE; CLB TO 17000 FT. THE ACFT STARTED MAKING THE TURN TO J225 AND ATC ASKED IF WE WERE TURNING TO JOIN V312. ATC THEN GAVE US A 090 DEG HDG; AND SUPPOSEDLY TOLD US TO LEVEL OFF 16000 FT. MYSELF; THE FO; NOR A JUMPSEATER LISTENING TO THE RADIO HEARD THE 16000 FT CLRNC. BUT THEN AGAIN THERE WAS A LOT GOING ON WITH TFC AND FIXING THE ROUTING ISSUE. ATC THEN (LEVEL AT 17000 FT) SAID 'I TOLD YOU TO LEVEL AT 16000 FT; IMMEDIATELY TURN L TO A HDG OF 010 DEGS; TIGHT TURN!' ATC THEN TOLD ANOTHER ACFT TO TURN L 20 DEGS TIGHT TURN! SOLUTIONS: AFTER THE RERTE; I SHOULD HAVE MADE SURE THE ROUTING IN THE FMC WAS CORRECT BEFORE WE DID ANYTHING ELSE. I COULD HAVE INTERACTED WITH MAINT AFTER I WAS SURE THE FMC UPDATE WAS COMPLETE. THEN DURING A ROUTING ANOMALY; I SHOULD HAVE MANAGED THE SITUATION BETTER AS FAR AS HEARING THE CLRNC ALT CHANGE. WE WERE SO FOCUSED ON GETTING THE CORRECT RTE INTO THE FMC (KIND OF THE ONE TRACK MINDSET) THAT WE MAY HAVE MISSED THE OTHER IMPORTANT PART; THE ALT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.