ALTDEV DURING DELAYING VECTORS FOR ARR TO CEDAR RAPIDS; IA.

Narrative

ON MAY/XA/00 I ACTED AS SIC AND THE PF ON FLT FROM CHICAGO; IL; TO CEDAR RAPIDS; IA. THE WX WAS VFR AND WE WERE INITIALLY VECTORED FOR RWY 27. ON THE DOWNWIND LEG WE WERE NOTIFIED BY ATC THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD LANDED HARD ON THE RWY LEAVING DEBRIS BEHIND WHICH WAS GOING TO CLOSE THE RWY FOR APPROX 10 MINS. WE EXTENDED THE DOWNWIND TO ALLOW MORE TIME FOR THE RWY TO REOPEN. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND ON AN APPROX 2 SM FINAL; ATC ADVISED US THAT RWY 27 WAS STILL CLOSED AND ASKED IF WE WANTED TO LAND ON RWY 31. WE RECONFIGURED; REPOSITIONED THE ACFT; AND THE CAPT EVALUATED THE RWY DATA FOR A POSSIBLE LNDG ON RWY 31. DURING THIS TIME OF HIGH WORKLOAD; I INADVERTENTLY GOT 400 FT ABOVE THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 2500 FT MSL. WHILE IN THE PROCESS OF IMMEDIATELY CORRECTING THIS DEV; ATC INQUIRED AS TO OUR ALT AND HDG. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; TWR INFORMED US THAT RWY 27 WAS OPEN AND ASKED FOR VECTORS FOR LNDG RWY 27. WE FLEW A NORMAL VFR APCH AND LANDED ON RWY 27; WHICH WAS LONGER AND MORE SUITABLE. WE WERE NOT INFORMED BY ATC THAT ANY TYPE OF CONFLICT OR VIOLATION HAD OCCURRED THAT DAY. MORE ATTN TO VERIFYING ALL ALTS AND HDGS DURING TIMES OF RECONFIGURING AND HIGH WORKLOAD COULD HAVE PREVENTED ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS OR DEVS FROM OCCURRING. ALSO; I FEEL THE USE OF THE AUTOPLT THROUGHOUT THE APCH UNTIL THE LNDG RWY WAS ASSURED COULD HAVE REDUCED THE WORKLOAD; GIVING MORE TIME TO ASSURE ALL CLRNCS.