P-3 CREW HAD AN ALT OVERSHOOT IN JAX CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative

FLT BEGAN FROM CONCORD; NC (JQF) AND WAS RETURNING TO NAVY JAX (NIP). THE FLT WAS VFR AT 16500 FT. AT APPROX 50 MI N OF JAX; I BEGAN A DSCNT TO 3500 FT AS ASSIGNED BY JAX APCH. AT A POINT APPROX 4 MI DUE E OF JAX; I NOTICED 2 ACFT IN AN AREA OF 1-2 O'CLOCK POS. I WAS ADVISED BY ATC TO MAINTAIN VFR AT 3500 FT. I HAD THESE 2 ACFT ON TCASII WITH NO TCASII ALERT AT ANY TIME. I MANEUVERED MY ACFT TO MAINTAIN VFR AND TFC AVOIDANCE AND DSNDED (UNNOTICED BY ME) TO APPROX 3300 FT WHILE LOOKING FOR THE TFC AND AVOIDING CLOUDS. THE TFC WAS AN ACR RJ DEPARTING JAX AND FELLOW COMPANY TFC ALSO ENRTE TO NIP. THE RJ STATED OVER THE RADIO TO ATC THAT HE HAD DEVIATED FOR TFC WITHIN 300 FT. WE SAW THIS TFC AND AT NO TIME DID WE RECEIVE A TA FROM THE RJ. I DID CONTINUE SBOUND TOWARDS NIP AND AT ONE POINT HAD DSNDED TO APPROX 3000 FT WHILE MANEUVERING FOR CLOUDS AND LOOKING FOR TFC. ONCE I REALIZED MY ALT ERROR; I IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED. THE LOWER ALT WAS WELL AFTER THE AFOREMENTIONED INCIDENT. MY ACFT HAD A CREW OF 3 AND THE ACFT IS TCASII EQUIPPED AND HAS AN ONBOARD RADAR THAT IS CAPABLE OF SORTING TFC. (THE TCASII RADAR IS THE SAME RADAR USED ON THE F-16). AT NO TIME WAS THE CREW ALERTED BY THE RJ UNTIL HE ANNOUNCED HIS FLT PATH DEV. THE FLT TERMINATED AT NIP WITHOUT INCIDENT.