MLG DSNDS BELOW ALT.

Narrative

THIS WAS THE FIRST LEG OF A 4 DAY TRIP. THE WX WAS BEAUTIFUL BUT AFTER ZOB HANDED US OFF TO ZDC; THEY BEGAN VECTORING US AROUND EXCESSIVELY. WE RECEIVED NUMEROUS HDG; ALT; AND SPD CHANGES; AND SEVERAL TIMES; ALT CLRNCS WERE CHANGED SHORTLY AFTER RECEIVING THEM. AT ONE TIME; WE WERE WITHIN 45 NM OF OUR DEST (RIC) AT FL230 WHEN ZDC ISSUED A 180 DEG TURN AND DSCNT CLRNC. THE FRUSTRATION (MY) LEVEL WITH ATC WAS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH. AT SOME POINT WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 14000 FT; HOWEVER; WE DSNDED TO 13300 FT BEFORE WE REALIZED WE HAD PASSED OUR ASSIGNED ALT. SEVERAL THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS DEV: 1) I WAS EXTREMELY ANNOYED WITH ZDC AND MY ATTN WAS NOT 100 PERCENT DUE TO THIS SIT. 2) JUST AS WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEVELING OFF; ONE OF OUR FLT ATTENDANTS CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT WITH COFFEE; DISTRACTING BOTH MYSELF AND THE FO. 3) OUR 'NORMAL' ALT ALERTERS GIVE 5 RATHER SHORT; SHARP BEEPS; AND THIS ONE GAVE ONLY 1 LONG BUT RATHER SUBDUED BEEP. 4) OUR AIRLINE UTILIZES AN EXCELLENT SYS FOR SETTING A NEW ALT IN THE ALERTER; VERIFYING IT WITH THE OTHER CREW MEMBER AND THEN CALLING OUT 1000 FT ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT IN THE DSCNT. ALTHOUGH THE CORRECT ALT WAS SET; I DO NOT RECALL MAKING THE 1000 FT ABOVE CALLOUT. AS IS SO OFTEN THE CASE; NUMEROUS SMALL ITEMS COMBINED TO CREATE A PROB WHICH; FORTUNATELY; DID NOT BECOME A DISASTER. I DO BELIEVE; HOWEVER; THAT THE PRIMARY CAUSE WAS MY BEING DISTRACTED DUE TO THE FRUSTRATION OF GETTING TERRIBLE SVC IN TERRIFIC WX FROM ZDC. I SUPPOSE THE SOLUTION IS TO NOT GET ANNOYED; BUT; LIKE OTHER THINGS; IT IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE.