Narrative:

We were on an IFR flight from nashville (bna) to cincinnati (luk) in VFR conditions. ZID had cleared us direct lunkin (luk) and had descended us to 16000 ft and handed us off to cincinnati approach. After checking in approach told us to cross (I believe) tarne intersection at 11000 ft. We weren't filed for any arrival, so we were looking for it on the charts and approach plates. When the captain asked her to spell it she changed our clearance to descend and maintain 9000 ft and depart cincinnati VOR (cvg) on a heading of 050 degrees. While looking up the VOR frequency and setting up the navigation equipment we descended through our assigned altitude of 9000 ft down to 8100 ft. She told us 'westwind you were supposed to maintain 9000 ft, you have traffic at 11 O'clock position and 2 mi.' the captain immediately climbed back to 9000 ft. We called out the traffic in sight. I'm not sure if the captain thought he had the altitude capture feature of the autoplt engaged or not. We were only out of our assigned altitude a few seconds. We went immediately from a descent to a climb. I feel that the approach controller initially may have thought that we were going to the covington (cincinnati international airport, cvg) and that was the reason she was putting us on the arrival at tarne intersection. I believe when she realized we were going to lunken (luk) that she changed our routing to cross the cincinnati VOR at 9000 ft and depart on the 050 degree radial. I believe we expected vectors direct lunken (luk) but got 2 rapid fire routing changes. This had us scrambling to locate the different routing and get the navigation equipment set up. This distraction, I feel, caused us to divert our attention to locating specific points on the chart and finding frequencys, ie, VOR and ILS, which allowed us to miss our assigned altitude. Additionally, I feel I had distracted the captain by asking him about clarification on our most recent routing. Had I not asked him about our routing at this particular moment, I don't believe he would have descended through our assigned altitude. In the future, when we are making assigned altitude changes, I plan to keep my eyes on the altimeter and my questions to myself until we level off at the assigned altitude.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE CONFUSION OF A DIVERT AND THE SUBSEQUENT ROUTING AND ALT CHANGES LEADS TO AN ALT OVERSHOOT DURING THE DSCNT.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT FROM NASHVILLE (BNA) TO CINCINNATI (LUK) IN VFR CONDITIONS. ZID HAD CLRED US DIRECT LUNKIN (LUK) AND HAD DSNDED US TO 16000 FT AND HANDED US OFF TO CINCINNATI APCH. AFTER CHKING IN APCH TOLD US TO CROSS (I BELIEVE) TARNE INTXN AT 11000 FT. WE WEREN'T FILED FOR ANY ARR, SO WE WERE LOOKING FOR IT ON THE CHARTS AND APCH PLATES. WHEN THE CAPT ASKED HER TO SPELL IT SHE CHANGED OUR CLRNC TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 9000 FT AND DEPART CINCINNATI VOR (CVG) ON A HEADING OF 050 DEGS. WHILE LOOKING UP THE VOR FREQ AND SETTING UP THE NAV EQUIP WE DSNDED THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 9000 FT DOWN TO 8100 FT. SHE TOLD US 'WESTWIND YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN 9000 FT, YOU HAVE TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK POS AND 2 MI.' THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY CLBED BACK TO 9000 FT. WE CALLED OUT THE TFC IN SIGHT. I'M NOT SURE IF THE CAPT THOUGHT HE HAD THE ALT CAPTURE FEATURE OF THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED OR NOT. WE WERE ONLY OUT OF OUR ASSIGNED ALT A FEW SECONDS. WE WENT IMMEDIATELY FROM A DSCNT TO A CLB. I FEEL THAT THE APCH CTLR INITIALLY MAY HAVE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE GOING TO THE COVINGTON (CINCINNATI INTL ARPT, CVG) AND THAT WAS THE REASON SHE WAS PUTTING US ON THE ARR AT TARNE INTXN. I BELIEVE WHEN SHE REALIZED WE WERE GOING TO LUNKEN (LUK) THAT SHE CHANGED OUR ROUTING TO CROSS THE CINCINNATI VOR AT 9000 FT AND DEPART ON THE 050 DEG RADIAL. I BELIEVE WE EXPECTED VECTORS DIRECT LUNKEN (LUK) BUT GOT 2 RAPID FIRE ROUTING CHANGES. THIS HAD US SCRAMBLING TO LOCATE THE DIFFERENT ROUTING AND GET THE NAV EQUIP SET UP. THIS DISTR, I FEEL, CAUSED US TO DIVERT OUR ATTN TO LOCATING SPECIFIC POINTS ON THE CHART AND FINDING FREQS, IE, VOR AND ILS, WHICH ALLOWED US TO MISS OUR ASSIGNED ALT. ADDITIONALLY, I FEEL I HAD DISTRACTED THE CAPT BY ASKING HIM ABOUT CLARIFICATION ON OUR MOST RECENT ROUTING. HAD I NOT ASKED HIM ABOUT OUR ROUTING AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT, I DON'T BELIEVE HE WOULD HAVE DSNDED THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT. IN THE FUTURE, WHEN WE ARE MAKING ASSIGNED ALT CHANGES, I PLAN TO KEEP MY EYES ON THE ALTIMETER AND MY QUESTIONS TO MYSELF UNTIL WE LEVEL OFF AT THE ASSIGNED ALT.

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.