Narrative:

My wife and I had been flying all day in IMC conditions and now as we neared our home base in very clear conditions, I had been directed by ZDV to leave our cruising altitude of 12000 ft and descend to 8000 ft in preparation for a handoff to denver approach for vectors to a landing at apa. During the descent, my wife, in the copilot's seat, began having an allergy attack and requested her medicine from the rear seats. As I turned to reach back for the medicine, I inadvertently disconnected the autoplt. I reactivated the autoplt and then immediately returned to searching for the medicine for an increasingly agitated wife. In my haste to help my wife, I had neglected to reactivate the descent altitude warning system. While caring for my wife and her allergy attack, I was subconsciously relying on the altitude warning system to advise me of the assigned lower altitude. The cavu WX conditions further served to ease my concern for the readily- visible, flat terrain below. The controller then said he showed me 700 ft below my assigned altitude. I immediately corrected altitude and was then handed off to denver approach. The event occurred over a vast, flat, deserted, dry-land ranching area with a ground elevation of about 5200 ft. There was no other aircraft traffic in the area nor ranch buildings or cows on the ground. Lesson learned: even when flying in the company of a distraught and medically needy wife, the pilot must always first fly the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV.

Narrative: MY WIFE AND I HAD BEEN FLYING ALL DAY IN IMC CONDITIONS AND NOW AS WE NEARED OUR HOME BASE IN VERY CLR CONDITIONS, I HAD BEEN DIRECTED BY ZDV TO LEAVE OUR CRUISING ALT OF 12000 FT AND DSND TO 8000 FT IN PREPARATION FOR A HDOF TO DENVER APCH FOR VECTORS TO A LNDG AT APA. DURING THE DSCNT, MY WIFE, IN THE COPLT'S SEAT, BEGAN HAVING AN ALLERGY ATTACK AND REQUESTED HER MEDICINE FROM THE REAR SEATS. AS I TURNED TO REACH BACK FOR THE MEDICINE, I INADVERTENTLY DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT. I REACTIVATED THE AUTOPLT AND THEN IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO SEARCHING FOR THE MEDICINE FOR AN INCREASINGLY AGITATED WIFE. IN MY HASTE TO HELP MY WIFE, I HAD NEGLECTED TO REACTIVATE THE DSCNT ALT WARNING SYS. WHILE CARING FOR MY WIFE AND HER ALLERGY ATTACK, I WAS SUBCONSCIOUSLY RELYING ON THE ALT WARNING SYS TO ADVISE ME OF THE ASSIGNED LOWER ALT. THE CAVU WX CONDITIONS FURTHER SERVED TO EASE MY CONCERN FOR THE READILY- VISIBLE, FLAT TERRAIN BELOW. THE CTLR THEN SAID HE SHOWED ME 700 FT BELOW MY ASSIGNED ALT. I IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED ALT AND WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO DENVER APCH. THE EVENT OCCURRED OVER A VAST, FLAT, DESERTED, DRY-LAND RANCHING AREA WITH A GND ELEVATION OF ABOUT 5200 FT. THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT TFC IN THE AREA NOR RANCH BUILDINGS OR COWS ON THE GND. LESSON LEARNED: EVEN WHEN FLYING IN THE COMPANY OF A DISTRAUGHT AND MEDICALLY NEEDY WIFE, THE PLT MUST ALWAYS FIRST FLY THE AIRPLANE.

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.