PIC of flight was distracted with new flight plans being received on printer and did not notice firs...

Attributes
ACN	524680
Time
Date	200109
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12400 msl bound upper : 13000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : bradford
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 269
ASRS Report	524680
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On bdf arrival into ord, we were cleared to 13000 ft. First officer descended through cleared altitude to 12400 ft before climbing back up. Upon reaching 13000 ft, I called ZAU to confirm our altitude clearance. Center confirmed our altitude clearance of 13000 ft and then proceeded to clear us direct to ord and to maintain 11000 ft. Center did not seem to acknowledge our deviation. Human factors issues? Prior to the clearance, I had been communicating with dispatch over ACARS to establish a new alternate, advise him of efc times, and discuss fuel considerations. Also, we had been reassigned by the crew desk. New flight plans and briefing information was also coming over the printer. This was accomplished before leaving the high altitude sector. While I thought all of these external issues had been addressed, another flight plan came over the printer just before the altitude deviation. I became confused while studying it until I realized it was for the next segment and crew for that airplane. I saw then the first officer's mistake. I don't recall hearing the altitude alert. While I recognize my fault and responsibility to adhere to clrncs, I question the need for irrelevant messages to our flight sent to us, especially within 30 mins of landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF FLT WAS DISTRACTED WITH NEW FLT PLANS BEING RECEIVED ON PRINTER AND DID NOT NOTICE FO DSND THROUGH CLRED ALT.

Narrative: ON BDF ARR INTO ORD, WE WERE CLRED TO 13000 FT. FO DSNDED THROUGH CLRED ALT TO 12400 FT BEFORE CLBING BACK UP. UPON REACHING 13000 FT, I CALLED ZAU TO CONFIRM OUR ALT CLRNC. CTR CONFIRMED OUR ALT CLRNC OF 13000 FT AND THEN PROCEEDED TO CLR US DIRECT TO ORD AND TO MAINTAIN 11000 FT. CTR DID NOT SEEM TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR DEV. HUMAN FACTORS ISSUES? PRIOR TO THE CLRNC, I HAD BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH DISPATCH OVER ACARS TO ESTABLISH A NEW ALTERNATE, ADVISE HIM OF EFC TIMES, AND DISCUSS FUEL CONSIDERATIONS. ALSO, WE HAD BEEN REASSIGNED BY THE CREW DESK. NEW FLT PLANS AND BRIEFING INFO WAS ALSO COMING OVER THE PRINTER. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE LEAVING THE HIGH ALT SECTOR. WHILE I THOUGHT ALL OF THESE EXTERNAL ISSUES HAD BEEN ADDRESSED, ANOTHER FLT PLAN CAME OVER THE PRINTER JUST BEFORE THE ALTDEV. I BECAME CONFUSED WHILE STUDYING IT UNTIL I REALIZED IT WAS FOR THE NEXT SEGMENT AND CREW FOR THAT AIRPLANE. I SAW THEN THE FO'S MISTAKE. I DON'T RECALL HEARING THE ALT ALERT. WHILE I RECOGNIZE MY FAULT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO ADHERE TO CLRNCS, I QUESTION THE NEED FOR IRRELEVANT MESSAGES TO OUR FLT SENT TO US, ESPECIALLY WITHIN 30 MINS OF LNDG.

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.

PIC of flight was distracted with new flight plans being received on printer and did not notice first officer descend through cleared altitude.