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Air carrier medium large transport altitude deviation overshot during descent. The aircraft had been cleared direct ord because a critically sick passenger had been reported.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 169464 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199101 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bdf airport : ord |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 11600 msl bound upper : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau tracon : ord |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 177 flight time total : 16700 flight time type : 3300 |
| ASRS Report | 169464 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Inbound to ord, F/a advised that a female passenger had heavy vaginal hemorrhage and could become critical. I contacted chicago center and the first officer switched to arinc to advise our dispatch of the problem. I requested priority handling from center and we were cleared direct O'hare with no speed restriction. While the first officer was still busy requesting paramedic and gate information, I misunderstood a descent clearance below 12000' which was combined with a frequency change. Prior to changing frequency, I was unable to confirm cleared altitude because of frequency congestion. When I finally got through we were descending through 11600'. Controller said 'cleared altitude was 12000'.' changed frequencys and was cleared to 6000'. Two pilot crew loaded up with non flying problem. Night, IFR, snow, moderate icing and dense radio traffic.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR MLG ALT DEVIATION OVERSHOT DURING DESCENT. THE ACFT HAD BEEN CLEARED DIRECT ORD BECAUSE A CRITICALLY SICK PASSENGER HAD BEEN REPORTED.
Narrative: INBND TO ORD, F/A ADVISED THAT A FEMALE PAX HAD HVY VAGINAL HEMORRHAGE AND COULD BECOME CRITICAL. I CONTACTED CHICAGO CTR AND THE F/O SWITCHED TO ARINC TO ADVISE OUR DISPATCH OF THE PROB. I REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING FROM CTR AND WE WERE CLRED DIRECT O'HARE WITH NO SPD RESTRICTION. WHILE THE F/O WAS STILL BUSY REQUESTING PARAMEDIC AND GATE INFO, I MISUNDERSTOOD A DSNT CLRNC BELOW 12000' WHICH WAS COMBINED WITH A FREQ CHANGE. PRIOR TO CHANGING FREQ, I WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM CLRED ALT BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION. WHEN I FINALLY GOT THROUGH WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 11600'. CTLR SAID 'CLRED ALT WAS 12000'.' CHANGED FREQS AND WAS CLRED TO 6000'. TWO PLT CREW LOADED UP WITH NON FLYING PROB. NIGHT, IFR, SNOW, MODERATE ICING AND DENSE RADIO TFC.
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.