FLC OF AN LTT OVERSHOT ASSIGNED DSCNT ALT DUE TO COCKPIT WORK TASK DISTR.

Narrative

THE FLT IS ABOUT 30 NM S OF MTJ ON V361 AT FL180. I ASK FOR LOWER AT MY FO REQUEST (FO IS THE PF). ZDV CLRS US TO DSND TO AND MAINTAIN 16000 FT; WHICH I READ BACK; AND WE BOTH CONFIRM THE ASSIGNED ALT ENTERED INTO THE ALT ALERTER. THE FO IS HAND-FLYING THE ACFT AT THIS TIME. I THEN ASKED THE FO TO GUARD THE #1 COM WHILE I GET THE ASOS FOR MTJ. I LOOK OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND CAN SEE THE OVCST IS STARTING TO CLR TO THE S OF THE ARPT WITH IT COMING INTO VIEW. AS I RETURN TO THE #1 COM; I FIND MY FO TALKING TO ZDV ABOUT HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS OVER MTJ AND ASK THE FO TO CLARIFY THE CLRNC TO ME. THE FO STATED HOLD OVER THE MTJ VOR AS PUBLISHED; EFC XA45. I PICK UP MY CHART TO VIEW THE PUBLISHED HOLD ON THE CHART. AT THIS TIME ZDV CALLED OUT OUR ALT OF 14700 FT MSL AND ASKED OUR ASSIGNED ALT. I LOOKED AT THE ALTIMETER AND THE ALT ALERTER TO CONFIRM THE DISCREPANCY. WE THEN BEGIN A CLB BACK UP TO 16000 FT. ZDV THEN CLRS US FOR THE ILS DME RWY 17 APCH. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. IN THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION WITH MY FO I LEARN MY FO DID NOT COPY THE CLRNC IN ITS ENTIRETY. INSTEAD OF CTR ASKING IF WE WERE READY TO COPY; THE CTLR JUST STARTED TO ISSUE THE CLRNC. THE FO PICKED UP A PEN AND ONLY COPIED DOWN THE EFC OF XA45 AND READ BACK THE CLRNC TO THE CTLR. AS I CAME UP ON THE #1 COM AND REQUESTED THE CLRNC FROM MY FO WHICH FURTHER DISTRACTED HIM FROM FLYING THE ACFT. DURING THE DISCUSSION I ASKED WHAT ALT WAS ASSIGNED AND HE CLAIMED NOT RECEIVING AN ALT NOR COPYING IT DOWN. I FEEL THAT THE COM OF THE CLRNC DURING THE DSCNT IS WHAT COVERED UP THE 3 CHIMES FROM THE ALT ALERTER FROM BEING HEARD. NO PROCS WERE DIFFERENT ON THIS FLT AS ANY OTHER BECAUSE I HAVE FLOWN THIS RTE MANY TIMES. AREAS OF BREAKDOWN AND CORRECTION. CTR SHOULD ASK 'READY TO COPY.' THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND SHOULD HAVE TOLD CTR AND MYSELF TO STAND BY. (I HAVE FLOWN WITH THIS FO ON MANY OCCASIONS AND FOUND HIM EAGER TO DO A GOOD JOB; BUT WHILE TRYING TO DO THE JOB FAILED TO SHOW COMMAND OF THE SIT.) AS I CAME BACK TO COM #1 I CAUGHT ONLY THE TAIL OF THE CLRNC AND WHILE REQUESTING THE REST; I DISTRACTED THE FO AND FAILED TO BACK UP THE ALT. WITH WHAT I HEARD FROM ASOS AND WHAT I SAW OUTSIDE AND THE THOUGHT OF CANCELING THE IFR AND THEN HEARING THE HOLDING CLRNC; DISTRACTED MYSELF DURING A CRITICAL TIME. I SHOULD HAVE MONITORED THE FO'S FLYING MORE CLOSELY.