Falcon 20FJF/20C/20D/20E/20F
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 29; Flight Crew Total 6000; Flight Crew Type 1385
Distraction; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown; Workload
Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors; Weather
Receiving vectors from [Center] after departing; I was given an initial heading of 290 degrees and 3;000 FT altitude. The altitude was increased to 4;000 then to 6;000 FT and the heading was changed to 210 degrees and the altitude was changed to 13;000 FT. I was hand flying which gives me more authority and smoothness; when flying around weather. In addition I was also balancing the fuel which I told the non-flying pilot about as we were 500 LBS off from side to side so I had to trim to compensate. The pilot not flying can only do one thing at a time so it would either be balancing fuel or talking to ATC; but he can't do both.... It was easier for me to do it and tell him that I am doing it; as it is already in my scan and all I have to do is turn on two switches and turn them off when it is done. There was convective weather to our west and on our present heading we would miss the weather. Just as we were reaching 13;000 FT (I don't recall hearing my 1;000 FT to go call as the pilot not flying was task saturated with ATC and looking out his side window on the right at the weather he wanted me to fly through); ATC gave us a new heading of 270 degrees that would take us right into the weather. The pilot not flying accepted the turn and I protested...and told him that we needed to maintain our present heading for weather. He was behind and task saturated as usual. As I was doing that; something that he should have been doing for me; I went through the assigned altitude of 13;000 FT by 100 FT and leveled at 13;100. I continued up for about another 50 FT then finally leveled at 13;000 FT.... As this was happening; were also being switched from one ATC frequency to another at the same time we were given the turn. The pilot not flying finally checked in; he stated he was waiting for me to get back to 13;000 FT. Again; I think he was behind and task saturated. I secured the fuel at this time since it was perfect and the trim was returned to normal. He indicated that he wasn't aware of the fuel and acted surprised to see me secure it. I indicated that I told him I was balancing it. He made the stay on course request with ATC and it was granted....I probably was task saturated too; but had the non-flying pilot been on the same page and told ATC that we needed to stay on the 210 heading and made the 1;000 FT to go call; I probably wouldn't have missed the assigned altitude.... I think that he finally got up to speed when we got on the ground.
Falcon 20 Captain atrributed an altitude overshoot to workload and lack of assistance from the First Officer.