CE421 flight crew elects to remain at FL200 with cabin altitude above 10000 feet and no supplemental oxygen; to take advantage of tailwinds. Crew reports suffering the effects of altitude sickness upon landing.

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Attributes
ACN	734509
Time
Date	200704
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lih.airport
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl single value : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Golden Eagle 421
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : pacific
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	734509
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

This was an evaluation flight of our part 135 air carrier certificate's ability to get extended range overwater authority/authorized to conduct flts to ZZZ from honolulu/lihue; hi. The FAA navigation specialist observer gave us numerous tasks to perform; to demonstrate our ability to navigation overwater. Upon reaching our turn point; we headed back to hnl (via lihue). Our cabin pressurization was malfunctioning due to a leak in the nose bay electronic harness hole through pressure bulkhead. Our cabin climbed above 10000 ft and we flew on without supplemental oxygen for 4 hours. This degraded my judgement and I believe my blood oxygen was deficient. I continued our flight and may have failed to report canon intersection -- we established VHF radio contact shortly after passing canon; with hlf. In the future; I will descend to heavier air. We had no svcable oxygen on board; and chose to stay high to utilize tailwind benefit to ease our recovery to honolulu. I had a headache due to altitude sickness upon landing. But my concern for our diminishing fuel state overrode my decision to descend.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CE421 FLT CREW ELECTS TO REMAIN AT FL200 WITH CABIN ALTITUDE ABOVE 10000 FEET AND NO SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN; TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TAILWINDS. CREW REPORTS SUFFERING THE EFFECTS OF ALTITUDE SICKNESS UPON LANDING.

Narrative: THIS WAS AN EVALUATION FLT OF OUR PART 135 ACR CERTIFICATE'S ABILITY TO GET EXTENDED RANGE OVERWATER AUTH TO CONDUCT FLTS TO ZZZ FROM HONOLULU/LIHUE; HI. THE FAA NAV SPECIALIST OBSERVER GAVE US NUMEROUS TASKS TO PERFORM; TO DEMONSTRATE OUR ABILITY TO NAV OVERWATER. UPON REACHING OUR TURN POINT; WE HEADED BACK TO HNL (VIA LIHUE). OUR CABIN PRESSURIZATION WAS MALFUNCTIONING DUE TO A LEAK IN THE NOSE BAY ELECTRONIC HARNESS HOLE THROUGH PRESSURE BULKHEAD. OUR CABIN CLBED ABOVE 10000 FT AND WE FLEW ON WITHOUT SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN FOR 4 HRS. THIS DEGRADED MY JUDGEMENT AND I BELIEVE MY BLOOD OXYGEN WAS DEFICIENT. I CONTINUED OUR FLT AND MAY HAVE FAILED TO RPT CANON INTXN -- WE ESTABLISHED VHF RADIO CONTACT SHORTLY AFTER PASSING CANON; WITH HLF. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL DSND TO HEAVIER AIR. WE HAD NO SVCABLE OXYGEN ON BOARD; AND CHOSE TO STAY HIGH TO UTILIZE TAILWIND BENEFIT TO EASE OUR RECOVERY TO HONOLULU. I HAD A HEADACHE DUE TO ALT SICKNESS UPON LNDG. BUT MY CONCERN FOR OUR DIMINISHING FUEL STATE OVERRODE MY DECISION TO DSND.

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.