Narrative:

Approaching dfw area we were cleared to descend to 12000 ft and cross dodje intersection at 12000 ft. There were numerous thunderstorms in the area and traffic was being re-routed. My copilot was flying and had the descent set up on the autoplt. I was calling ft worth meacham tower to check on the status of the WX as a big cell was in the area. I was told by tower the cell was over the field and there was rain and lightning in all quadrants. As I was making the decision to divert to waco, center called us to level at 12000 ft. I looked at the altimeter and we were at 11000 ft. We rapidly climbed back to 12000 ft. We were then cleared to 11000 ft and told to switch to approach. My copilot had engaged the altitude capture, which sometime during the descent had gone off without his (or my) knowledge. The chain of events was caused by my distraction and involvement with WX planning and checking, rather than monitoring his flying.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR LTT JET DSNDED THROUGH ASSIGNED ALT OF 12000 FT AND GOT TO 11000 FT WHILE FLC WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH TERMINAL AREA WX.

Narrative: APCHING DFW AREA WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 12000 FT AND CROSS DODJE INTXN AT 12000 FT. THERE WERE NUMEROUS TSTMS IN THE AREA AND TFC WAS BEING RE-ROUTED. MY COPLT WAS FLYING AND HAD THE DSCNT SET UP ON THE AUTOPLT. I WAS CALLING FT WORTH MEACHAM TWR TO CHK ON THE STATUS OF THE WX AS A BIG CELL WAS IN THE AREA. I WAS TOLD BY TWR THE CELL WAS OVER THE FIELD AND THERE WAS RAIN AND LIGHTNING IN ALL QUADRANTS. AS I WAS MAKING THE DECISION TO DIVERT TO WACO, CTR CALLED US TO LEVEL AT 12000 FT. I LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER AND WE WERE AT 11000 FT. WE RAPIDLY CLBED BACK TO 12000 FT. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO 11000 FT AND TOLD TO SWITCH TO APCH. MY COPLT HAD ENGAGED THE ALT CAPTURE, WHICH SOMETIME DURING THE DSCNT HAD GONE OFF WITHOUT HIS (OR MY) KNOWLEDGE. THE CHAIN OF EVENTS WAS CAUSED BY MY DISTR AND INVOLVEMENT WITH WX PLANNING AND CHKING, RATHER THAN MONITORING HIS FLYING.

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.