DC9-30 flight crew descends below cleared altitude.

Attributes
ACN	440467
Time
Date	199906
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ict.airport
State Reference	KS
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28700 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	440467
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ZKC cleared us from FL310 to FL290. At the time we received the clearance and began the descent, I was trying to pick up ict's ATIS. I made the mistake of not telling the captain I was leaving the frequency (center), but instead tried to listen to both. I did this because there was an acm in the cockpit who was a friend of the captain, and they were having a very distracting conversation the entire flight. Of course, during the conversation, the captain was missing radio calls from center. While trying to ignore their conversation and listen to both center and ATIS, I missed the fact that we descended through our altitude assignment by about 300 ft. Thankfully, it was the acm that noticed it and spoke up.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9-30 FLC DSNDS BELOW CLRED ALT.

Narrative: ZKC CLRED US FROM FL310 TO FL290. AT THE TIME WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC AND BEGAN THE DSCNT, I WAS TRYING TO PICK UP ICT'S ATIS. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF NOT TELLING THE CAPT I WAS LEAVING THE FREQ (CTR), BUT INSTEAD TRIED TO LISTEN TO BOTH. I DID THIS BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ACM IN THE COCKPIT WHO WAS A FRIEND OF THE CAPT, AND THEY WERE HAVING A VERY DISTRACTING CONVERSATION THE ENTIRE FLT. OF COURSE, DURING THE CONVERSATION, THE CAPT WAS MISSING RADIO CALLS FROM CTR. WHILE TRYING TO IGNORE THEIR CONVERSATION AND LISTEN TO BOTH CTR AND ATIS, I MISSED THE FACT THAT WE DSNDED THROUGH OUR ALT ASSIGNMENT BY ABOUT 300 FT. THANKFULLY, IT WAS THE ACM THAT NOTICED IT AND SPOKE UP.

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.