Altitude deviation altitude overshot during a medical emergency with ill passenger.

Attributes
ACN	188586
Time
Date	199109
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mry
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10600 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : zoa
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	188586
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight originated in long beach, ca, non stop to san francisco. We were cleared to big sur, big sur profile route only maintain FL310. Shortly before reaching big sur a passenger became seriously ill and needed medical attention quickly. The captain requested priority routing to sfo and declared a medical emergency. Center instructed us direct to sfo and descend to 11000 ft. The both of us were quite busy coordinating between the cabin crew assisting the ill passenger, company communication and planning the approach at sfo, when the captain, who was the PF, descended to 10600 ft before correcting back to 11000 ft. The reason he inadvertently descended below 11000 ft was because with all the activity in the cabin and trying to fly the aircraft by hand, we both didn't catch the altitude until 10600 ft. I, PNF, told approach that we were correcting back to 11000 ft, and I don't believe there was any conflicting traffic. The flight proceeded to sfo without further incident. There is always something to learn through mistakes, and I think leaving the aircraft on autoplt in times of irregular operations or procedures is the best way to protect against compounding the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEV ALT OVERSHOT DURING A MEDICAL EMER WITH ILL PAX.

Narrative: FLT ORIGINATED IN LONG BEACH, CA, NON STOP TO SAN FRANCISCO. WE WERE CLRED TO BIG SUR, BIG SUR PROFILE RTE ONLY MAINTAIN FL310. SHORTLY BEFORE REACHING BIG SUR A PAX BECAME SERIOUSLY ILL AND NEEDED MEDICAL ATTN QUICKLY. THE CAPT REQUESTED PRIORITY RTING TO SFO AND DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER. CENTER INSTRUCTED US DIRECT TO SFO AND DSND TO 11000 FT. THE BOTH OF US WERE QUITE BUSY COORDINATING BTWN THE CABIN CREW ASSISTING THE ILL PAX, COMPANY COM AND PLANNING THE APCH AT SFO, WHEN THE CAPT, WHO WAS THE PF, DSNDED TO 10600 FT BEFORE CORRECTING BACK TO 11000 FT. THE REASON HE INADVERTENTLY DSNDED BELOW 11000 FT WAS BECAUSE WITH ALL THE ACTIVITY IN THE CABIN AND TRYING TO FLY THE ACFT BY HAND, WE BOTH DIDN'T CATCH THE ALT UNTIL 10600 FT. I, PNF, TOLD APCH THAT WE WERE CORRECTING BACK TO 11000 FT, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THERE WAS ANY CONFLICTING TFC. THE FLT PROCEEDED TO SFO WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LEARN THROUGH MISTAKES, AND I THINK LEAVING THE ACFT ON AUTOPLT IN TIMES OF IRREGULAR OPS OR PROCS IS THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT AGAINST COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM.

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.