AIR AMBULANCE FLC REVERSES HDG AND ALT NUMBERS ASSIGNED. HDG DEV. ALTDEV.

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ON THE MORNING OF FEB/XX/92; DEPARTED DALLAS LOVE ARPT RWY 13L IN SMT JET; FT WORTH 5 DEP; MILLSAP TRANSITION. DFW DEP CLRED US TO 16000 ON ASSIGNED HDG OF 240 DEGS; FOLLOWED BY LATER CLRNC OF 270 DEG HDG DIRECT MILLSAP; CLB TO FL230. I TURNED TO 270 AND INITIATED CLB; BUT MISTAKENLY ENTERED FL270 INTO THE ALERTER; AFTER PASSING FL225 WAS ASSIGNED FREQ CHANGE TO FT WORTH CTR. I CALLED IN CLBING TO FL270. THE CTLR INFORMED ME TO LEVEL AT 230; WHICH I ATTEMPTED BUT REACHED FL235 BEFORE LEVEL OFF. THIS ERROR WAS CAUSED BY A MOMENTARY DISTR AFTER RECEIVING THE CLRNC TO FL230; THEN REMEMBERING THE NUMBER 270 BEING SAID; FELT SURE THAT 270 WAS THE ASSIGNED ALT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS VERY DISTRACTED AT TIME OF INCIDENT LECTURING HIS FO WHO HAD FALLEN WELL BELOW STANDARD. HE TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND KNOWS HE TOO FELL BELOW STANDARD. REVERSED HDG AND ALT NUMBERS. STATED THIS IS NOT THE NORMAL EMS OP. COMPANY DOES NOT DO AS MUCH 'TRAUMA' WORK AS LONG DISTANCE FLTS FOR PATIENTS WHO ARE STABILIZED AND NEED TRANSFER FOR FURTHER CARE OR TO HOME. MUCH WORK TO CANADA DUE TO NUMBERS FROM THERE WHO VACATION IN FLORIDA. MUCH WORK WITH CRUISE LINES WHO MAY HAVE PAX ILL OR INJURED. ALSO FREQUENTLY FLY ORGANS FOR TRANSPLANT AS IN THIS INCIDENT. USUALLY HAVE FLTS SCHEDULED IN ADVANCE AND NOT LAST MIN RUSH CALLS. THEY WORK ALL OVER THE N AND S AMERICAN CONTINENT.