CONGESTED AREA; FREQ CHANGE; FAILED TO CALL IN TO APCH CTLR.

Narrative

WE WERE OPERATING WITH THE RIGHT AIR CONDITIONING PACK INOP. APCHING ATL; CENTER HAD TURNED US OVER TO THE FIRST APCH CTLR. IT WAS A BUSY TIME; QUITE A BIT OF TFC IN THE ATL AREA; PLUS A LINE OF TSTMS IN THE AREA WE WERE GOING THROUGH AIR TFC CTLR WORKLOAD WAS HIGH. EARLIER F/A HAD GIVEN US A CABIN DISCREPANCY RPT ABOUT A SMOKE DETECTOR INOP IN ONE OF THE LAVS. WHEN I CALLED IN RANGE; BECAUSE OF PREOCCUPATION WITH THOUGHTS OF WX; FLT AND ACFT CHANGE IN ATL; I FORGOT TO RPT THIS ITEM TO MAINT. WHEN I THOUGHT OF IT A FEW MINS LATER; MY THINKING; HOWEVER IRRESPONSIBLE IT WAS; WAS THAT I SHOULD CALL MAINT WITH THIS ITEM TO SAVE US TIME ON THE GND. I TOLD THE F/O I WAS GOING TO CALL MAINT AND PROCEEDED TO DO SO. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO MAINT; APCH CTL GAVE US A LOWER ALT AND AIRSPD CHANGE WHICH THE F/O ACKNOWLEDGED. AS HE REDUCED THE PWR TO COMPLY WITH THE CLRNC; BECAUSE OF THE ONE PACK INOP; THE CABIN PRESSURE BECAME ERRATIC AND STARTED CLBING. AT THIS TIME APCH CTL GAVE US A NEW APCH FREQ WHICH; BECAUSE OF MY DIVIDED ATTN; I MISSED; BUT THE F/O ACKNOWLEDGED IT. HE DIALED IN THE NEW FREQ; BUT BECAUSE OF HIS WORKLOAD AND TRYING TO CTL THE PRESSURE WITH ENG PWR; HE DID NOT CHK IN ON THE NEW FREQ. A SHORT TIME LATER; I HEARD THE FIRST CTLR CALL US IN AN URGENT TONE OF VOICE. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND MY ANXIETY LEVEL JUMPED QUITE A BIT. I ANSWERED THE CALL AND THE CTLR; SOUNDING VERY ANGRY (I DON'T BLAME HIM) SAID; 'WHAT IS YOUR PROB WITH SWITCHING TO THE NEW FREQ?' I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND BECAUSE OF THE ANGER AND URGENCY OF HIS VOICE; I WENT IMMEDIATELY TO THE NEW FREQ W/O TELLING HIM WE WERE CHANGING. THE NEW FREQ WAS ALSO BUSY; BUT WHEN I WAS ABLE TO CHK IN THE NEW CTLR ANSWERED AS IF EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE I TOLD THE NEW CTLR WE HAD HAD A PRESSURIZATION PROB THAT HAD DIVERTED OUR ATTN AND IT CAUSED US TO DELAY SWITCHING. HE DID NOT SOUND AT ALL CONCERNED AS HE SAID; 'I JUST PUT A COUPLE IN FRONT OF YOU.' EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL FROM THEN ON. ON THE GND I WANTED TO CALL THE APCH CTL FAC TO APOLOGIZE; BUT DID NOT HAVE TIME. I REALIZE THAT THE INCIDENT AND THIS RPT IS THE RESULT OF VERY POOR COCKPIT MGT ON MY PART. I APOLOGIZE TO EVERYONE CONCERNED FOR MY POOR JUDGEMENT AND ACTION. IT WAS MOST UNWISE AND UNFAIR OF ME TO PUT THE WORKLOAD I DID ON THAT CTLR AND THE F/O. THEY DID THE BEST THEY COULD W/O MY HELP. IN TIMES PAST I HAVE READ SEVERAL RPTS SIMILAR TO THIS ONE; BUT NOW I HAVE ALLOWED IT TO HAPPEN TO ME. I HOPE I HAVE LEARNED THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING MY UNDIVIDED ATTN TO APCH CTL AS OPPOSED TO RPTING MAINT ITEMS.