Flight crew of a B737-400 undershot descent altitude due to distraction by cabin attendants informing flight crew in the cockpit of a passenger medical emergency. After ATC intervened and asked the flight crew if they were going to meet the descent crossing restr, the flight crew declared a medical emergency.

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Attributes
ACN	392014
Time
Date	199801
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eno
State Reference	DE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : j191
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	392014
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 195 flight time total : 14580
ASRS Report	391826
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Received a clearance to cross ridgy at FL240 300 KTS. FMC would not take the restr for an unknown reason, so the captain (PF) started descending manually (autoplt on). The flight attendants came to the cockpit to inform us of a medical emergency in the cabin. We were both distraction from our duties while we listened to the medical problem. Center called to confirm our present altitude and our assigned restr. We had passed over ridgy several hundred ft high. We expedited our descent to FL240. We advised center of our medical problem with a passenger and requested to land in ewr as soon as possible. We asked if our altitude deviation had created a problem and center's response was 'no.' we landed in ewr and paramedics met the flight and attended to our passenger. The problem was caused by both of us allowing the flight attendants to distract us from flying the aircraft. One of us should have handled the cabin problem and the other concentrated on flying the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-400 UNDERSHOT DSCNT ALT DUE TO DISTR BY CABIN ATTENDANTS INFORMING FLC IN THE COCKPIT OF A PAX MEDICAL EMER. AFTER ATC INTERVENED AND ASKED THE FLC IF THEY WERE GOING TO MEET THE DSCNT XING RESTR, THE FLC DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER.

Narrative: RECEIVED A CLRNC TO CROSS RIDGY AT FL240 300 KTS. FMC WOULD NOT TAKE THE RESTR FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON, SO THE CAPT (PF) STARTED DSNDING MANUALLY (AUTOPLT ON). THE FLT ATTENDANTS CAME TO THE COCKPIT TO INFORM US OF A MEDICAL EMER IN THE CABIN. WE WERE BOTH DISTR FROM OUR DUTIES WHILE WE LISTENED TO THE MEDICAL PROB. CTR CALLED TO CONFIRM OUR PRESENT ALT AND OUR ASSIGNED RESTR. WE HAD PASSED OVER RIDGY SEVERAL HUNDRED FT HIGH. WE EXPEDITED OUR DSCNT TO FL240. WE ADVISED CTR OF OUR MEDICAL PROB WITH A PAX AND REQUESTED TO LAND IN EWR ASAP. WE ASKED IF OUR ALTDEV HAD CREATED A PROB AND CTR'S RESPONSE WAS 'NO.' WE LANDED IN EWR AND PARAMEDICS MET THE FLT AND ATTENDED TO OUR PAX. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY BOTH OF US ALLOWING THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO DISTRACT US FROM FLYING THE ACFT. ONE OF US SHOULD HAVE HANDLED THE CABIN PROB AND THE OTHER CONCENTRATED ON FLYING THE ACFT.

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.