ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT BOTH WAYS.

Narrative

FLYING STAR AND RADAR VECTORS TO GLENDALE (GEU); PAX (EMPLOYER) REQUESTED DEST CHANGE TO SCOTTSDALE (SDL). PLT WAS SEARCHING FOR APCH CHARTS AND ARPT INFO FOR NEW DEST. SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER ASSIGNED RADIAL WAS FROM PHX OR WILLIE VOR. UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. WAS ASSIGNED DSCNT TO 11000 FT. TURNED AUTOPLT 'ALT SELECT' TO 11000 FT; BEGAN DSCNT. INQUIRED AS TO CORRECT VOR. INFORMED IT WAS PHX. RESUMED SEARCH FOR ARPT AND APCH CHARTS. TFC WAS CALLED AT 12 O'CLOCK; UNABLE TO LOCATE TFC. RPT 'NO CONTACT.' WAS INFORMED THAT ASSIGNED ALT WAS 11000 FT. OBSERVED ALTIMETER BELOW 11000 FT. INITIATED CLB. WAS INSTRUCTED TO RPT 'LEVEL AT 11000 FT.' CLBED TO ASSIGNED ALT AND RPTED REACHING. OVERSHOT ALT TO 11100 FT. NOTICED AT THAT TIME AUTOPLT ALT HOLD FAILED TO ENGAGE. SAW THAT ALT PRESELECT DIAL WAS SET MIDWAY BTWN 11000 FT AND 11100 FT. BECAUSE OF THIS; ALT HOLD FAILED TO ENGAGE. RESET ALT HOLD TO 11000 FT DETENT; AT WHICH TIME 'ALT HOLD' ENGAGED AND HELD. CONTINUED FLT AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ATTRIBUTE PROB TO LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA; LAST MIN DEST CHANGE BY PAX; AUTOPLT ALT PRESELECT IMPROPERLY SET (NOT FULLY IN SELECTED ALT DETENT) AND THE RESULTANT FAILURE OF THE AUTOPLT TO ENGAGE ALT HOLD; AND ATTN AND INST SCAN INTERRUPTED BY SEARCH FOR 12 O'CLOCK TFC; AND CTLR'S FAILURE TO BRING ALTDEV TO ATTN SOONER. THERE WAS SOME HAZE AND POSSIBLY DEVOTED TOO MUCH TIME TO VISUAL SEARCH FOR RPTED TFC; TAKING TIME AWAY FROM FLYING DUTIES AND INST SCAN. NEED TO MORE EFFICIENTLY ALLOCATE TIME BTWN OUTSIDE COCKPIT OBSERVATIONS AND INTERNAL INST SCAN AND PROPER CTL SETTINGS.