ACR FLC UNDERSHOT A XING ALT RESTRICTION DUE TO THE DISTR OF A POSSIBLE ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM.

Narrative

WE WERE IN CRUISE AT FL280 AND HAD RECEIVED A DSCNT CLRNC FROM CTR TO CROSS THE MAYOS INTXN ON THE MAJIC 5 ARR INTO CHARLOTTE; NC; AT FL220. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND NOTED THAT WHEN WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC THAT WE HAD APPROX 45 NM TO MAKE THE DSCNT. SINCE WE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO DSND; I STARTED DOWN SLOWLY AT 800-1000 FPM USING THE AUTOPLT. VERY SHORTLY AFTER WE STARTED DOWN; THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO TELL US THAT A PAX WAS HAVING TROUBLE CLRING HER EARS AND WAS EXPERIENCING MILD PAIN. THE FO AND I CHKED THE PRESSURIZATION CTLR WHICH INDICATED NORMALLY. SINCE THE FLT ATTENDANT MENTIONED THAT SHE WAS ALSO HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE CLRING HER EARS; WE BEGAN TO SUSPECT THAT THE CABIN PRESSURIZATION INDICATIONS WERE IN ERROR. FOR SEVERAL MINS WE BOTH BECAME ENGROSSED WITH THE PRESSURIZATION. THE CTR THEN CONTACTED US WITH A FREQ CHANGE. AS THE FO SWITCHED FREQS; I NOTICED THAT WE WERE PAST THE MAYOS INTXN APPROX 2000 FT HIGH. THE CTLR ON THE NEW FREQ ASKED US TO EXPEDITE OUR DSCNT TO AN EVEN LOWER ALT. SINCE HE ASKED US TO EXPEDITE; I FIGURED HE ALREADY REALIZED WE WERE HIGH; SO I DIDN'T BRING IT UP; BUT EXPEDITED THE DSCNT AT APPROX 4000 FPM TO THE NEWLY ASSIGNED ALT. CTR THANKED US FOR THE DSCNT BEFORE HE HANDED US OFF; AND SINCE NOTHING ELSE WAS MENTIONED AND NO OFF COURSE VECTORS WERE ISSUED; I ASSUMED THAT NO TFC CONFLICT WAS CREATED. WE ARE TRAINED IN THE SIMULATOR THAT DURING EMER OR ABNORMAL SITUATIONS; SOMEONE MUST FLY THE ACFT. SINCE WE WERE AT HIGH ALT RATHER THAN THE APCH OR DEP PHASE; I LULLED MYSELF INTO FORGETTING THIS LESSON. THE FO WAS DOING HIS JOB PERFECTLY; BUT I WAS THE ONE WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN FLYING RATHER THAN TROUBLESHOOTING.