B737-200 CREW HAD ALT OVERSHOOT IN ZAB CLASS E AIRSPACE.

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WE WERE DSNDING INTO ABQ AS WE WERE PICKING OUR WAY BTWN TSTMS. THE CAPT WAS GETTING THE ABQ ARR ATIS AND TRYING TO DETERMINE IF WE WERE TOO HVY TO LAND. NEEDED FLAPS 15 DEGS; OR FLAPS 30 DEGS. I WAS LISTENING TO THE RADIOS AND FLYING WHEN I THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED TO 14000 FT MSL. I BEGAN MY DSCNT AS THE CAPT CAME BACK OVER. AT 14700 FT MSL; CTR ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING AND IF WE NEEDED LOWER. WHEN WE ASKED HER WHAT SHE MEANT; SHE SAID WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED OUT OF 16000 FT; BUT WE COULD HAVE LOWER IF WE NEEDED IT. FACTORS: 1) THE WX AND THE LNDG PERFORMANCE PROB (B737-200 LNDG AT A HIGH PRESSURE ALT) WERE MAJOR DISTRS. IF THE CAPT HAD NOT BEEN WORKING ON THE DATA; HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CAUGHT MY MISTAKE. 2) I BELIEVE I TOOK SOMEONE ELSE'S CLRNC. I SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED THE LOWER ALT. FIXES: WHEN LNDG AT AN ARPT WHERE BAD WX OR WHEN UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES EXIST (IE; PERFORMANCE PROB); GET TERMINAL WX EARLY AND COMPLETE COMPUTATIONS AND PREPARATIONS BEFORE DSCNT FROM CRUISE. THIS WILL ALLOW BOTH PLTS TO LISTEN ON THE RADIO TO CATCH MISTAKES DURING HIGH VOLUME; BUSY AND STRESSFUL ARRS.