DC9-30 FLC OVERSHOT THEIR XING ALT WHEN THE CREW CONCEPT FALLS APART. THE FO WAS PF BUT WAS TOO INVOLVED WITH THE CAPT'S PROB OF SOLVING A PAX PROB. ALT CALLOUTS WERE MADE BY PIC AND ALT ALERT SET.

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THE FO WAS THE PF ON FLT FROM MSN TO MSP. WE NORMALLY ARE CLRED TO 11000 FT AT BANNI INTXN; BUT TODAY WE WERE GIVEN 12000 FT. I WAS WORKING A PAX PROB WITH THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT AND SAID '2 TO GO' AT 14000 FT AND '1 TO GO' AT 13000 FT. I WAS THEN DISTRACTED BY THE PAX PROB. I NOTICED THE ALTDEV AND THE FO IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED BACK TO 12000 FT. THE CAUSE OF THIS DEV WAS A CREW COORD PROB. THE FO IS A RETIRED B52 MIL COMMANDER AND INSTRUCTOR PLT. HE STILL THINKS HE IS THE 'COMMANDER.' HE HAS A HARD TIME BEING AN FO AND NOT THE CAPT. I TOLD HIM TO FLY THE ACFT AND TALK TO ATC WHILE I HANDLED THE PAX PROB. HE WOULDN'T STAY OUT OF IT (THE PAX PROB). I HAD BEEN FLYING WITH HIM ALL MONTH AND BEFORE OUR FIRST FLT OF THIS PATTERN; I WENT OVER SOME THINGS THAT I WANTED HIM TO STOP DOING. THIS DISCUSSION APPARENTLY PISSED HIM OFF AND MESSED UP HIS CONCENTRATION. HE IS OLDER THAN I AM AND I DON'T THINK HE RESPECTS ME MUCH. HE IS ALWAYS SO BUSY TRYING TO DO 'MY JOB' AS CAPT THAT HE FORGETS THE BASIC THINGS. FLY THE AIRPLANE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 371704: I LEVELED OFF AT 11000 FT BECAUSE THIS WAS THE USUAL LEVELOFF ALT ON THE STAR. WE GOT A TCASII TA WHICH INDICATED ACFT AT SAME ALT. I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED I LEVELED OFF AT THE WRONG ALT; AND INITIATED A CLB TO 12000 FT. AT 11500 FT WE GOT AN RA WHICH CONFIRMED THE CLB. CTR ALSO CALLED TO CONFIRM OUR ALT BUT BY THEN; I HAD CORRECTED THE MISTAKE BY LEVELING OFF AT 12000 FT. THE TFC PASSED 1000 FT BELOW. THE BASIC CAUSE OF THE ERROR WAS THE HABIT OF LEVELING AT 11000 FT AND NOT XCHKING THE ACTUAL CLRED ALT OF 12000 FT. ALT WARNING AND ALERT SYS WORKED; AND ONLY A QUICK RESPONSE TO THE TCASII TA PREVENTED A MORE SERIOUS ERROR.