An LJ35 air taxi flight crew near bdl fails to maintain altitude as assigned by ATC.

Attributes
ACN	485410
Time
Date	200009
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bdl.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Learjet 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bdl.tracon
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 1160
ASRS Report	485410
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist controller : separated traffic flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to assigned altitude flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were descending into bdl. We saw the airport approximately 30 mi out as we were cleared to descend to 7000 ft. He had called out a small airplane to us at 6500 ft and we were looking for it when I realized we had descended to 6500 ft. As I was seriously pulling on the yoke and adding power, the controller -- in an alarming tone of voice -- told us to climb, told us where we were, told us to turn to a heading, and told us where the traffic was -- all in separate xmissions, to which we both complied and responded to each one. The entire event could not have taken more than 5 seconds. The controller seemed to be upset the most because he didn't hear us reply to every transmission. Upon reaching the ground, the tower asked us to call approach control on the phone, which I did. The man in charge said he just wanted to clarify what happened and why didn't we respond to the controller's xmissions. I clearly was giving more attention to my VFR flying than to my IFR flying. There's no real excuse, I simply must remember that even though the WX is cavu, I still have to fly the airplane as if it is 200 ft and 1/2 mi visibility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LJ35 AIR TAXI FLC NEAR BDL FAILS TO MAINTAIN ALT AS ASSIGNED BY ATC.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING INTO BDL. WE SAW THE ARPT APPROX 30 MI OUT AS WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 7000 FT. HE HAD CALLED OUT A SMALL AIRPLANE TO US AT 6500 FT AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR IT WHEN I REALIZED WE HAD DSNDED TO 6500 FT. AS I WAS SERIOUSLY PULLING ON THE YOKE AND ADDING PWR, THE CTLR -- IN AN ALARMING TONE OF VOICE -- TOLD US TO CLB, TOLD US WHERE WE WERE, TOLD US TO TURN TO A HDG, AND TOLD US WHERE THE TFC WAS -- ALL IN SEPARATE XMISSIONS, TO WHICH WE BOTH COMPLIED AND RESPONDED TO EACH ONE. THE ENTIRE EVENT COULD NOT HAVE TAKEN MORE THAN 5 SECONDS. THE CTLR SEEMED TO BE UPSET THE MOST BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HEAR US REPLY TO EVERY XMISSION. UPON REACHING THE GND, THE TWR ASKED US TO CALL APCH CTL ON THE PHONE, WHICH I DID. THE MAN IN CHARGE SAID HE JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY DIDN'T WE RESPOND TO THE CTLR'S XMISSIONS. I CLRLY WAS GIVING MORE ATTN TO MY VFR FLYING THAN TO MY IFR FLYING. THERE'S NO REAL EXCUSE, I SIMPLY MUST REMEMBER THAT EVEN THOUGH THE WX IS CAVU, I STILL HAVE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE AS IF IT IS 200 FT AND 1/2 MI VIS.

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.