Narrative:

Cleared by center to descend from 220 to 14000. During descent received traffic callout by center. Traffic approximately 2 O'clock, 8 mi. Referenced TCASII to get additionally reference/altitude separation. During the period of locating traffic neglected to call 1000 above to PF. Located traffic and pointed it out to first officer who was performing the descent using autoplt. First officer had approximately 50-100 hours in aircraft. After calling out traffic I noticed the altitude was approaching 13800 (cleared to 14000). Stated altitude. First officer attempted to level off using autoplt. Told him to disconnect and correct pitch. He put in appropriate correction but we were now 500 ft low. During the descent from 220 I was carrying on a conversation with a jumpseater who is a company pilot on leave of absence to a foreign carrier. I feel that my conversation with the jumpseater combined with the traffic callout sufficiently distracted both me and the first officer leading to an altitude deviation. Additionally, both me and the first officer have approximately 50-100 hours in the aircraft. We both recently transitioned from the heavy transport into the medium large transport. I should have been paying more attention to the first officer's aircraft handling but wasn't. I certainly will from now on. Supplemental information from acn 198063: we had descended through 17500 ft and were continuing to 14000 ft when our TCASII system went off. Both of us looked out for the traffic. The captain then asked ATC where our traffic was. When we saw the traffic and looked at our altitude we were at 14000 ft. I took the aircraft off autoplt and leveled off at 13600 ft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALTDEV OVERSHOT DURING DSCNT TO 14000 FT ON AIRWAY.

Narrative: CLRED BY CENTER TO DSND FROM 220 TO 14000. DURING DSCNT RECEIVED TFC CALLOUT BY CENTER. TFC APPROX 2 O'CLOCK, 8 MI. REFED TCASII TO GET ADDITIONALLY REF/ALT SEPARATION. DURING THE PERIOD OF LOCATING TFC NEGLECTED TO CALL 1000 ABOVE TO PF. LOCATED TFC AND POINTED IT OUT TO FO WHO WAS PERFORMING THE DSCNT USING AUTOPLT. FO HAD APPROX 50-100 HRS IN ACFT. AFTER CALLING OUT TFC I NOTICED THE ALT WAS APCHING 13800 (CLRED TO 14000). STATED ALT. FO ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL OFF USING AUTOPLT. TOLD HIM TO DISCONNECT AND CORRECT PITCH. HE PUT IN APPROPRIATE CORRECTION BUT WE WERE NOW 500 FT LOW. DURING THE DSCNT FROM 220 I WAS CARRYING ON A CONVERSATION WITH A JUMPSEATER WHO IS A COMPANY PLT ON LEAVE OF ABSENCE TO A FOREIGN CARRIER. I FEEL THAT MY CONVERSATION WITH THE JUMPSEATER COMBINED WITH THE TFC CALLOUT SUFFICIENTLY DISTRACTED BOTH ME AND THE FO LEADING TO AN ALTDEV. ADDITIONALLY, BOTH ME AND THE FO HAVE APPROX 50-100 HRS IN THE ACFT. WE BOTH RECENTLY TRANSITIONED FROM THE HVT INTO THE MLG. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING MORE ATTN TO THE FO'S ACFT HANDLING BUT WASN'T. I CERTAINLY WILL FROM NOW ON. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 198063: WE HAD DSNDED THROUGH 17500 FT AND WERE CONTINUING TO 14000 FT WHEN OUR TCASII SYS WENT OFF. BOTH OF US LOOKED OUT FOR THE TFC. THE CAPT THEN ASKED ATC WHERE OUR TFC WAS. WHEN WE SAW THE TFC AND LOOKED AT OUR ALT WE WERE AT 14000 FT. I TOOK THE ACFT OFF AUTOPLT AND LEVELED OFF AT 13600 FT.

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.