Narrative:

The captain and PF on this mission from dpa to jsj is also the director of aviation for our department. I was acting as sic and the PNF on this mission. Events leading up to this altitude deviation included several distractions for the PIC due to ground administrative duties, and current issues with the possible sale of one of our company G4's. The PIC was not involved with any preflight planning or preparation for this mission and showed up at the aircraft 20 mins prior to takeoff having just left a 1.5 hour staff meeting. Shortly after departure and reaching cruise altitude, the PIC spent approximately the next 1 hour making several in-flight phone calls concerning aircraft sale issues with various persons involved on the ground. Approximately 2 hours into the flight the PIC left the flight deck for 1.5 hours to discuss legal issues with one of the passenger in the cabin. Shortly after returning to the flight deck I informed the PIC that he needed to respond to the home office concerning faxes on the sale of one of our aircraft. During this conversation ZMA issued a clearance for us to descend from FL430 to FL410. The PIC initiated a descent (on autoplt) but we did not confirm the newly assigned altitude or set it in the altitude select window as per company SOP. The PIC immediately instructed me to send a text message to the home office concerning the facsimile/aircraft sale issues which required me to be 'heads down' for several mins. While I was involved in this task, the PIC failed to monitor the aircraft and after I completed the message and looked up, I noticed that we were at FL390 and still descending. I immediately asked the PIC why we were below assigned altitude. Within seconds ZMA noticed the deviation and said 'aircraft X I see you at FL390 and I thought I assigned you FL410.' I then asked the PIC what he wanted me to tell ATC and he advised me to tell them we would go back to FL410. After I told ZMA of this, they responded with 'that's ok, continue descent to FL370.' to the best of my recollection there were no other aircraft in the vicinity and the TCASII was clear of any proximity traffic. No further mention of the altitude deviation was mentioned by either us or ATC. The flight continued to a normal landing at tjsj without further incident. I believe that the overriding factor in this altitude deviation was the PIC's overwhelming preoccupation with non-flight related issued and lack of attention to detail concerning his cockpit responsibilities. In short his mind was everywhere but 'in' the cockpit flying the mission.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GLF4 CREW OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT DURING DSCNT.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND PF ON THIS MISSION FROM DPA TO JSJ IS ALSO THE DIRECTOR OF AVIATION FOR OUR DEPT. I WAS ACTING AS SIC AND THE PNF ON THIS MISSION. EVENTS LEADING UP TO THIS ALTDEV INCLUDED SEVERAL DISTRACTIONS FOR THE PIC DUE TO GND ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES, AND CURRENT ISSUES WITH THE POSSIBLE SALE OF ONE OF OUR COMPANY G4'S. THE PIC WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH ANY PREFLT PLANNING OR PREPARATION FOR THIS MISSION AND SHOWED UP AT THE ACFT 20 MINS PRIOR TO TKOF HAVING JUST LEFT A 1.5 HR STAFF MEETING. SHORTLY AFTER DEP AND REACHING CRUISE ALT, THE PIC SPENT APPROX THE NEXT 1 HR MAKING SEVERAL INFLT PHONE CALLS CONCERNING ACFT SALE ISSUES WITH VARIOUS PERSONS INVOLVED ON THE GND. APPROX 2 HRS INTO THE FLT THE PIC LEFT THE FLT DECK FOR 1.5 HRS TO DISCUSS LEGAL ISSUES WITH ONE OF THE PAX IN THE CABIN. SHORTLY AFTER RETURNING TO THE FLT DECK I INFORMED THE PIC THAT HE NEEDED TO RESPOND TO THE HOME OFFICE CONCERNING FAXES ON THE SALE OF ONE OF OUR ACFT. DURING THIS CONVERSATION ZMA ISSUED A CLRNC FOR US TO DSND FROM FL430 TO FL410. THE PIC INITIATED A DSCNT (ON AUTOPLT) BUT WE DID NOT CONFIRM THE NEWLY ASSIGNED ALT OR SET IT IN THE ALT SELECT WINDOW AS PER COMPANY SOP. THE PIC IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED ME TO SEND A TEXT MESSAGE TO THE HOME OFFICE CONCERNING THE FAX/ACFT SALE ISSUES WHICH REQUIRED ME TO BE 'HEADS DOWN' FOR SEVERAL MINS. WHILE I WAS INVOLVED IN THIS TASK, THE PIC FAILED TO MONITOR THE ACFT AND AFTER I COMPLETED THE MESSAGE AND LOOKED UP, I NOTICED THAT WE WERE AT FL390 AND STILL DSNDING. I IMMEDIATELY ASKED THE PIC WHY WE WERE BELOW ASSIGNED ALT. WITHIN SECONDS ZMA NOTICED THE DEV AND SAID 'ACFT X I SEE YOU AT FL390 AND I THOUGHT I ASSIGNED YOU FL410.' I THEN ASKED THE PIC WHAT HE WANTED ME TO TELL ATC AND HE ADVISED ME TO TELL THEM WE WOULD GO BACK TO FL410. AFTER I TOLD ZMA OF THIS, THEY RESPONDED WITH 'THAT'S OK, CONTINUE DSCNT TO FL370.' TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT IN THE VICINITY AND THE TCASII WAS CLR OF ANY PROX TFC. NO FURTHER MENTION OF THE ALTDEV WAS MENTIONED BY EITHER US OR ATC. THE FLT CONTINUED TO A NORMAL LNDG AT TJSJ WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THE OVERRIDING FACTOR IN THIS ALTDEV WAS THE PIC'S OVERWHELMING PREOCCUPATION WITH NON-FLT RELATED ISSUED AND LACK OF ATTN TO DETAIL CONCERNING HIS COCKPIT RESPONSIBILITIES. IN SHORT HIS MIND WAS EVERYWHERE BUT 'IN' THE COCKPIT FLYING THE MISSION.

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.