Narrative:

We were operating with the right air conditioning pack inoperative. Approaching atl, center had turned us over to the first approach controller. It was a busy time, quite a bit of traffic in the atl area, plus a line of thunderstorms in the area we were going through air traffic controller workload was high. Earlier F/a had given us a cabin discrepancy report about a smoke detector inoperative in one of the lavs. When I called in range, because of preoccupation with thoughts of WX, flight and aircraft change in atl, I forgot to report this item to maintenance. When I thought of it a few mins later, my thinking, however irresponsible it was, was that I should call maintenance with this item to save us time on the ground. I told the first officer I was going to call maintenance and proceeded to do so. While I was talking to maintenance, approach control gave us a lower altitude and airspeed change which the first officer acknowledged. As he reduced the power to comply with the clearance, because of the one pack inoperative, the cabin pressure became erratic and started climbing. At this time approach control gave us a new approach frequency which, because of my divided attention, I missed, but the first officer acknowledged it. He dialed in the new frequency, but because of his workload and trying to control the pressure with engine power, he did not check in on the new frequency. A short time later, I heard the first controller call us in an urgent tone of voice. I knew something was wrong and my anxiety level jumped quite a bit. I answered the call and the controller, sounding very angry (I don't blame him) said, 'what is your problem with switching to the new frequency?' I realized what had happened and because of the anger and urgency of his voice, I went immediately to the new frequency west/O telling him we were changing. The new frequency was also busy, but when I was able to check in the new controller answered as if everything was normal. When I had the chance I told the new controller we had had a pressurization problem that had diverted our attention and it caused us to delay switching. He did not sound at all concerned as he said, 'I just put a couple in front of you.' everything was normal from then on. On the ground I wanted to call the approach control facility to apologize, but did not have time. I realize that the incident and this report is the result of very poor cockpit mgt on my part. I apologize to everyone concerned for my poor judgement and action. It was most unwise and unfair of me to put the workload I did on that controller and the first officer. They did the best they could west/O my help. In times past I have read several reports similar to this one, but now I have allowed it to happen to me. I hope I have learned the importance of giving my undivided attention to approach control as opposed to reporting maintenance items.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONGESTED AREA, FREQ CHANGE, FAILED TO CALL IN TO APCH CTLR.

Narrative: WE WERE OPERATING WITH THE RIGHT AIR CONDITIONING PACK INOP. APCHING ATL, CENTER HAD TURNED US OVER TO THE FIRST APCH CTLR. IT WAS A BUSY TIME, QUITE A BIT OF TFC IN THE ATL AREA, PLUS A LINE OF TSTMS IN THE AREA WE WERE GOING THROUGH AIR TFC CTLR WORKLOAD WAS HIGH. EARLIER F/A HAD GIVEN US A CABIN DISCREPANCY RPT ABOUT A SMOKE DETECTOR INOP IN ONE OF THE LAVS. WHEN I CALLED IN RANGE, BECAUSE OF PREOCCUPATION WITH THOUGHTS OF WX, FLT AND ACFT CHANGE IN ATL, I FORGOT TO RPT THIS ITEM TO MAINT. WHEN I THOUGHT OF IT A FEW MINS LATER, MY THINKING, HOWEVER IRRESPONSIBLE IT WAS, WAS THAT I SHOULD CALL MAINT WITH THIS ITEM TO SAVE US TIME ON THE GND. I TOLD THE F/O I WAS GOING TO CALL MAINT AND PROCEEDED TO DO SO. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO MAINT, APCH CTL GAVE US A LOWER ALT AND AIRSPD CHANGE WHICH THE F/O ACKNOWLEDGED. AS HE REDUCED THE PWR TO COMPLY WITH THE CLRNC, BECAUSE OF THE ONE PACK INOP, THE CABIN PRESSURE BECAME ERRATIC AND STARTED CLBING. AT THIS TIME APCH CTL GAVE US A NEW APCH FREQ WHICH, BECAUSE OF MY DIVIDED ATTN, I MISSED, BUT THE F/O ACKNOWLEDGED IT. HE DIALED IN THE NEW FREQ, BUT BECAUSE OF HIS WORKLOAD AND TRYING TO CTL THE PRESSURE WITH ENG PWR, HE DID NOT CHK IN ON THE NEW FREQ. A SHORT TIME LATER, I HEARD THE FIRST CTLR CALL US IN AN URGENT TONE OF VOICE. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND MY ANXIETY LEVEL JUMPED QUITE A BIT. I ANSWERED THE CALL AND THE CTLR, SOUNDING VERY ANGRY (I DON'T BLAME HIM) SAID, 'WHAT IS YOUR PROB WITH SWITCHING TO THE NEW FREQ?' I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND BECAUSE OF THE ANGER AND URGENCY OF HIS VOICE, I WENT IMMEDIATELY TO THE NEW FREQ W/O TELLING HIM WE WERE CHANGING. THE NEW FREQ WAS ALSO BUSY, BUT WHEN I WAS ABLE TO CHK IN THE NEW CTLR ANSWERED AS IF EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE I TOLD THE NEW CTLR WE HAD HAD A PRESSURIZATION PROB THAT HAD DIVERTED OUR ATTN AND IT CAUSED US TO DELAY SWITCHING. HE DID NOT SOUND AT ALL CONCERNED AS HE SAID, 'I JUST PUT A COUPLE IN FRONT OF YOU.' EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL FROM THEN ON. ON THE GND I WANTED TO CALL THE APCH CTL FAC TO APOLOGIZE, BUT DID NOT HAVE TIME. I REALIZE THAT THE INCIDENT AND THIS RPT IS THE RESULT OF VERY POOR COCKPIT MGT ON MY PART. I APOLOGIZE TO EVERYONE CONCERNED FOR MY POOR JUDGEMENT AND ACTION. IT WAS MOST UNWISE AND UNFAIR OF ME TO PUT THE WORKLOAD I DID ON THAT CTLR AND THE F/O. THEY DID THE BEST THEY COULD W/O MY HELP. IN TIMES PAST I HAVE READ SEVERAL RPTS SIMILAR TO THIS ONE, BUT NOW I HAVE ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN TO ME. I HOPE I HAVE LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING MY UNDIVIDED ATTN TO APCH CTL AS OPPOSED TO RPTING MAINT ITEMS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.