Air carrier pilot descends through assigned altitude by 600 ft.

Attributes
ACN	447101
Time
Date	199905
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : odf.vortac
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 30400 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	447101
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : altitude alert
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to original clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approximately 98 mi south of foothills VOR, an altitude deviation occurred of 600 ft from assigned altitude. I was the captain and PNF at the time. We checked in with ZTL and were given a lower altitude of FL310 from FL330. At the time of the deviation I was working a problem with the flight engineer and head flight service director regarding a passenger on board, when the altitude alerter tone went off and a pull-up of the aircraft by the first officer. When directing my attention back up front, I discovered the first officer had flown through his assigned altitude! Cause: numerous distrs in the cockpit at that tim and complacency of the first officer and my full attention on the problem instead of backing up the PF were the contributing factors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT DSNDS THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT BY 600 FT.

Narrative: APPROX 98 MI S OF FOOTHILLS VOR, AN ALTDEV OCCURRED OF 600 FT FROM ASSIGNED ALT. I WAS THE CAPT AND PNF AT THE TIME. WE CHKED IN WITH ZTL AND WERE GIVEN A LOWER ALT OF FL310 FROM FL330. AT THE TIME OF THE DEV I WAS WORKING A PROB WITH THE FE AND HEAD FLT SVC DIRECTOR REGARDING A PAX ON BOARD, WHEN THE ALT ALERTER TONE WENT OFF AND A PULL-UP OF THE ACFT BY THE FO. WHEN DIRECTING MY ATTN BACK UP FRONT, I DISCOVERED THE FO HAD FLOWN THROUGH HIS ASSIGNED ALT! CAUSE: NUMEROUS DISTRS IN THE COCKPIT AT THAT TIM AND COMPLACENCY OF THE FO AND MY FULL ATTN ON THE PROB INSTEAD OF BACKING UP THE PF WERE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

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.