FLC CLBS THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative

ON CLBOUT OF LAS AFTER AN UNSCHEDULED EMER LNDG DUE TO A PAX MEDICAL PROB ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM DEN TO SNA; WE WERE FLYING A SID IN SCATTERED TO BROKEN TSTMS. WE WERE CLRED TO 17000 FT BY DEP CTL. THE FO WAS FLYING WHEN I LEFT THE RADIO TO HER WHILE I CONTACTED THE COMPANY ON THE #2 RADIO. I RETURNED TO THE ATC RADIO JUST AS WE WERE BEING HANDED OFF TO ZLA. I RPTED ON CLBING THROUGH 17800 FT FOR XXX AND AS I LOOKED AT THE ALT ALERT WINDOW IT READ 20800 FT; OBVIOUSLY NOT THE RIGHT ALT. I TOLD ZLA ATC WE WERE CONFUSED ABOUT THE CLRED ALT AND WERE IMMEDIATELY CLRED TO FL230. I BELIEVE THAT THE ALT ALERT KNOB GOT TURNED BY MISTAKE AS THE FO WAS REACHING FOR THE HDG SELECT KNOB WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CIRCUMNAV THE NUMEROUS SMALL TSTMS IN THE AREA. THE KNOBS ON THE AIRBUS A320 ARE NEXT TO EACH OTHER; AND ARE VERY SIMILAR IN SIZE; SHAPE AND TEXTURE. THERE WAS APPARENTLY NO CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PROBS THAT HAD ACCUMULATED ON THIS FLT. FOR ONE; THE ACARS WAS OUT SO THE INFO HAD TO BE COMMUNICATED TO COMPANY VIA THE #2 COM THAT WOULD NORMALLY BE SENT AUTOMATICALLY VIA THE ACARS LIKE OFF TIME AND ETA AND FUEL ON BOARD. WE HAD JUST MADE AN OFF SCHEDULE MEDICAL EMER LNDG AT LAS. THIS STOP HAD GENERATED SEVERAL PROBS TO COMPLICATE THE DAY. THE ONLY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THAT THERE WOULD BE A DIFFERENT SHAPE OF THE KNOB LIKE ONE TRIANGULAR; SQUARE OR H-SHAPED FOR HDG AND THE OTHER ROUND. BUT; MAKE SURE THE HDG KNOB WON'T INTERFACE WITH THE ALT KNOB SHAFT OR SOME MECH WILL PUT THE HDG KNOB ON THE ALT SHAFT. NORMALLY; WHEN WORKLOAD IS NOT SO HIGH THE PLT SELECTS THE HDG AND WATCHES FOR THE RESPONSE TO OCCUR. BUT IN THIS CASE THE TSTM AHEAD WOULD NOT PERMIT WAITING FOR THE AUTOPLT AND ITS LOGIC TO RESPOND SO THE AUTOPLT WAS DISCONNECTED TO HAND FLY AROUND THE TSTM. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 305456: FO (ME) DECIDED TO GAR A BUILDUP AND SELECTED HDG KNOB TO THE R. AUTOPLT ROLL RATE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO TURN AND AVOID; SO I TURNED OFF AUTOPLT TO INCREASE ROLL RATE. CAPT RETURNED FROM TALKING TO COMPANY AND DEP HANDED US OFF TO CTR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE EVENT COMMENCED WITH A MEDICAL EMER DEVIATING INTO LAS; A PAX '0' BLOOD PRESSURE. THE AFTERNOON TEMP WAS VERY HOT AND WITH A QUICK TURN AROUND THE A-320 AUTOMATIC BRAKE OVERTEMP WARNING FEATURES PRECLUDED DEP FOR 30 MINS. THEN WHEN THE BRAKES DID COOL AND TWR CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD THE BRAKE OVERTEMP WARNINGS OCCURRED AGAIN. THE CAPT AND MYSELF WERE VERY CONCERNED WITH THE DISCOMFORT; DELAY AND INCONVENIENCE ENDURED BY OUR PAX. WHEN I WAS PROGRAMMING THE ACARS I INADVERTENTLY PROGRAMMED LAX INSTEAD OF LAS AS THE DEP POINT WHICH UNKNOWN TO US AT THE TIME RENDERED THE ACARS UNUSABLE. THE RPTR HAS BEEN ON THE A-320 FOR 2 YRS AND NEVER HAD ANY PROBS LIKE THIS AND LIKES THE AIRPLANE ALTHOUGH BELIEVES THE HDG AND ALT SELECTOR KNOBS SHOULD BE SHAPED DIFFERENTLY. THE RPTR HAS HAD NO COMPLAINTS FROM THE FAA REGARDING THIS INCIDENT.