Corp aircraft has altitude deviation due to multiple altitude changes.

Attributes
ACN	313930
Time
Date	199508
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : aus
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	313930
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Like almost all of these sits there are multiple things that caused the problem. Not familiar with aircraft, had been flying airplane with automatic altitude capture, this airplane was not equipped. Center had changed our altitude clearance from FL350 to FL310 to FL330 to FL310 again within preceding 10 min. I left the cockpit to go to the back out of about 30000 ft to get some charts for our destination that were left on the back seat. The sic was flying. As I came back to the cockpit the sic was having a conversation with center about our clearance of FL310 or FL330. We then descended to FL310.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP ACFT HAS ALT DEV DUE TO MULTIPLE ALT CHANGES.

Narrative: LIKE ALMOST ALL OF THESE SITS THERE ARE MULTIPLE THINGS THAT CAUSED THE PROB. NOT FAMILIAR WITH ACFT, HAD BEEN FLYING AIRPLANE WITH AUTO ALT CAPTURE, THIS AIRPLANE WAS NOT EQUIPPED. CTR HAD CHANGED OUR ALT CLRNC FROM FL350 TO FL310 TO FL330 TO FL310 AGAIN WITHIN PRECEDING 10 MIN. I LEFT THE COCKPIT TO GO TO THE BACK OUT OF ABOUT 30000 FT TO GET SOME CHARTS FOR OUR DEST THAT WERE LEFT ON THE BACK SEAT. THE SIC WAS FLYING. AS I CAME BACK TO THE COCKPIT THE SIC WAS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH CTR ABOUT OUR CLRNC OF FL310 OR FL330. WE THEN DSNDED TO FL310.

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.