A descending S80 overshot its assigned altitude while the first officer is off getting the ATIS.

Attributes
ACN	415680
Time
Date	199809
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : psp
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	415680
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ATC facility: socal approach, location: psp. Cleared to cross bands at 15000 ft, then maintain 14000 ft on the seter arrival into ont. First officer getting ATIS, when returned captain descending to 14000 ft and confirmed this was proper altitude. Upon reaching 14000 ft ATC told us to climb back up to 15000 ft. There was no conflict and ATC said no problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DSNDING S80 OVERSHOT ITS ASSIGNED ALT WHILE THE FO IS OFF GETTING THE ATIS.

Narrative: ATC FACILITY: SOCAL APCH, LOCATION: PSP. CLRED TO CROSS BANDS AT 15000 FT, THEN MAINTAIN 14000 FT ON THE SETER ARR INTO ONT. FO GETTING ATIS, WHEN RETURNED CAPT DSNDING TO 14000 FT AND CONFIRMED THIS WAS PROPER ALT. UPON REACHING 14000 FT ATC TOLD US TO CLB BACK UP TO 15000 FT. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT AND ATC SAID NO PROBS.

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.