Narrative:

We were encountering a large line of thunderstorms. I told ATC that we couldn't stay on our present route because of the WX. ATC gave us a heading of 060 degrees. I responded that heading would put us in the WX. ATC gave us an instruction to descend to FL190, go direct to an unfamiliar intersection, then after that go direct to CCC VOR then direct isp. I then asked ATC to spell out the intersection so I could enter it into our GPS. During this we had to turn to a heading of 030 degrees to avoid the WX. ATC then told us to deviate and descend to 11000 ft. While we started the descent the controller, in a hurried voice, told us to make a left 360 degree turn. I was programming the GPS, watching the WX radar and talking on the radio and monitoring my first officer. I told my first officer that my head was down and to concentrate on flying the airplane. The ATC controller amended our altitude to 16000 ft. All of this was happening at once. The ATC instructions were in rapid fire cadence. We were established in the turn away from the WX and descending. I told my first officer that I would be off the radio to instruct our flight attendants to prepare for arrival and tell the passenger what was happening because of all our maneuvering around and to make a company in-range call. When I came back on the radio, I looked at the altimeter and noticed that we were level at 11000 ft. I asked the first officer if we were told to change altitude. Thinking we were cleared through 16000 ft to 11000 ft, he said no. Then ATC said, 'why are you at 11000 ft? I told you to level at 16000 ft.' I told him we were cleared to 11000 ft. I then realized what happened -- the first officer missed the 16000 ft instruction, the altitude of 11000 ft was set in the autoplt altitude window. ATC told us to stay level at 11000 ft. I explained that we got busy and got confused about the altitude instructions. My mistake. I failed to confirm with the first officer the amended altitude change. Plus, doing too many things at once. Plus ATC kept firing instructions at a rapid pace with too many changes. I would like to add that I barely could get a word in to read back instructions to ZNY.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISTRS CAUSE CREW TO MISSET NEW ALT DURING DSCNT AND THEY DSND BELOW ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: WE WERE ENCOUNTERING A LARGE LINE OF TSTMS. I TOLD ATC THAT WE COULDN'T STAY ON OUR PRESENT RTE BECAUSE OF THE WX. ATC GAVE US A HDG OF 060 DEGS. I RESPONDED THAT HDG WOULD PUT US IN THE WX. ATC GAVE US AN INSTRUCTION TO DSND TO FL190, GO DIRECT TO AN UNFAMILIAR INTXN, THEN AFTER THAT GO DIRECT TO CCC VOR THEN DIRECT ISP. I THEN ASKED ATC TO SPELL OUT THE INTXN SO I COULD ENTER IT INTO OUR GPS. DURING THIS WE HAD TO TURN TO A HDG OF 030 DEGS TO AVOID THE WX. ATC THEN TOLD US TO DEVIATE AND DSND TO 11000 FT. WHILE WE STARTED THE DSCNT THE CTLR, IN A HURRIED VOICE, TOLD US TO MAKE A L 360 DEG TURN. I WAS PROGRAMMING THE GPS, WATCHING THE WX RADAR AND TALKING ON THE RADIO AND MONITORING MY FO. I TOLD MY FO THAT MY HEAD WAS DOWN AND TO CONCENTRATE ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE. THE ATC CTLR AMENDED OUR ALT TO 16000 FT. ALL OF THIS WAS HAPPENING AT ONCE. THE ATC INSTRUCTIONS WERE IN RAPID FIRE CADENCE. WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN THE TURN AWAY FROM THE WX AND DSNDING. I TOLD MY FO THAT I WOULD BE OFF THE RADIO TO INSTRUCT OUR FLT ATTENDANTS TO PREPARE FOR ARR AND TELL THE PAX WHAT WAS HAPPENING BECAUSE OF ALL OUR MANEUVERING AROUND AND TO MAKE A COMPANY IN-RANGE CALL. WHEN I CAME BACK ON THE RADIO, I LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER AND NOTICED THAT WE WERE LEVEL AT 11000 FT. I ASKED THE FO IF WE WERE TOLD TO CHANGE ALT. THINKING WE WERE CLRED THROUGH 16000 FT TO 11000 FT, HE SAID NO. THEN ATC SAID, 'WHY ARE YOU AT 11000 FT? I TOLD YOU TO LEVEL AT 16000 FT.' I TOLD HIM WE WERE CLRED TO 11000 FT. I THEN REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED -- THE FO MISSED THE 16000 FT INSTRUCTION, THE ALT OF 11000 FT WAS SET IN THE AUTOPLT ALT WINDOW. ATC TOLD US TO STAY LEVEL AT 11000 FT. I EXPLAINED THAT WE GOT BUSY AND GOT CONFUSED ABOUT THE ALT INSTRUCTIONS. MY MISTAKE. I FAILED TO CONFIRM WITH THE FO THE AMENDED ALT CHANGE. PLUS, DOING TOO MANY THINGS AT ONCE. PLUS ATC KEPT FIRING INSTRUCTIONS AT A RAPID PACE WITH TOO MANY CHANGES. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT I BARELY COULD GET A WORD IN TO READ BACK INSTRUCTIONS TO ZNY.

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.