MD80 crew had altitude overshoot in ZMA class east airspace.

Attributes
ACN	521060
Time
Date	200108
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zma.artcc
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14600 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Weather Elements	Thunderstorm
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	521060
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	521357
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment : altitude alert other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descending into mco, we were cleared to 15000 ft. Distraction by the thunderstorms, we were being vectored into what I heard was 5000 ft. Still watching the storms, when the autoplt attempted to level at 15000 ft, I put it back into a descent to continue -- I thought -- to 5000 ft. The first officer immediately caught the deviation and alerted me and we returned to altitude. In the process we descended to approximately 14600 ft. ATC did not indicate any conflict. Thunderstorms can be very distracting.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD ALT OVERSHOOT IN ZMA CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO MCO, WE WERE CLRED TO 15000 FT. DISTR BY THE TSTMS, WE WERE BEING VECTORED INTO WHAT I HEARD WAS 5000 FT. STILL WATCHING THE STORMS, WHEN THE AUTOPLT ATTEMPTED TO LEVEL AT 15000 FT, I PUT IT BACK INTO A DSCNT TO CONTINUE -- I THOUGHT -- TO 5000 FT. THE FO IMMEDIATELY CAUGHT THE DEV AND ALERTED ME AND WE RETURNED TO ALT. IN THE PROCESS WE DSNDED TO APPROX 14600 FT. ATC DID NOT INDICATE ANY CONFLICT. TSTMS CAN BE VERY DISTRACTING.

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.