A320 captain reports failing to verify that the FMA shows that descent has been initiated after bein...

Attributes
ACN	1034997
Time
Date	201208
Place
Locale Reference	ZNY.ARTCC
State Reference	NY
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Descent
Route In Use	STAR BOJID ONE
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	FMS/FMC
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 240 Flight Crew Total 12000 Flight Crew Type 7644
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met Deviation - Procedural Clearance

Narrative:

On the bojid one arrival we were cleared out of FL330 to cross cofax at FL240. We set the altitude in the FCU and the restriction in the FMGC. I pushed to initiate the descent and failed to verify the FMA's [flight mode annunciator] that we were indeed in the descent; the first officer noticed as we checked in with a frequency change and I took the autopilot off; autothrust off; and immediately attempted the crossing restriction but failed to do so as the first officer simultaneously got relief from the controller and vectors for the descent. We were inadvertently distracted by our conversation in the cockpit.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 Captain reports failing to verify that the FMA shows that descent has been initiated after being assigned a crossing restriction on the BOJID ONE Arrival to PHL.

Narrative: On the BOJID ONE arrival we were cleared out of FL330 to cross COFAX at FL240. We set the altitude in the FCU and the restriction in the FMGC. I pushed to initiate the descent and failed to verify the FMA's [Flight Mode Annunciator] that we were indeed in the descent; the First Officer noticed as we checked in with a frequency change and I took the autopilot off; autothrust off; and immediately attempted the crossing restriction but failed to do so as the First Officer simultaneously got relief from the Controller and vectors for the descent. We were inadvertently distracted by our conversation in the cockpit.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

A320 captain reports failing to verify that the FMA shows that descent has been initiated after being assigned a crossing restriction on the bojid one arrival to phl.