Reporter flight failed to descend and comply with assigned crossing altitude restriction.

Attributes
ACN	107916
Time
Date	198904
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cap
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j80
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	107916
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ATC cleared flight xx (air carrier) to cross cap 290. The first officer acknowledged this to ATC and put cap at FL290 in descent page of computer and in altitude window of MCP. Problem was I didn't hear this because I was talking to passenger about arrival time at ind. I neglected to tell first officer I was no longer monitoring ATC. Right after talking to people I was getting WX in ind area as trws were forcasted and wanted to plan accordingly. When we were 9 mi from cap center asked if we had a clearance to FL290. First officer replied yes. This was news to me. First officer said he misread descent page as being 9 mi to start of descent, instead of 9 mi to cap. At 9 mi a min there was no way to make crossing restriction. ATC said to stay at FL330. Shortly thereafter was vectored off course for descent. ATC had traffic at FL310 he wanted to get us under, so no crisis except getting us down in time. In every instance I can remember each tells the other when we are 'off the air.' why I neglected to tell the first officer, I don't know. We talked about assuming the other heard and understood clearance. He says he just flat misread the information coming from FMC. If any one failure was probably my preoccupation with planning for ind WX. We (first officer and I) have discussed this incident and neither remembers this set of circumstances happening before. Results: make sure everyone in cockpit knows everything that is going on. Don't assume everyone else knows.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER FLT FAILED TO DESCEND AND COMPLY WITH ASSIGNED CROSSING ALT RESTRICTION.

Narrative: ATC CLRED FLT XX (ACR) TO CROSS CAP 290. THE F/O ACKNOWLEDGED THIS TO ATC AND PUT CAP AT FL290 IN DSCNT PAGE OF COMPUTER AND IN ALT WINDOW OF MCP. PROB WAS I DIDN'T HEAR THIS BECAUSE I WAS TALKING TO PAX ABOUT ARR TIME AT IND. I NEGLECTED TO TELL F/O I WAS NO LONGER MONITORING ATC. RIGHT AFTER TALKING TO PEOPLE I WAS GETTING WX IN IND AREA AS TRWS WERE FORCASTED AND WANTED TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY. WHEN WE WERE 9 MI FROM CAP CENTER ASKED IF WE HAD A CLRNC TO FL290. F/O REPLIED YES. THIS WAS NEWS TO ME. F/O SAID HE MISREAD DSCNT PAGE AS BEING 9 MI TO START OF DSCNT, INSTEAD OF 9 MI TO CAP. AT 9 MI A MIN THERE WAS NO WAY TO MAKE XING RESTRICTION. ATC SAID TO STAY AT FL330. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WAS VECTORED OFF COURSE FOR DSCNT. ATC HAD TFC AT FL310 HE WANTED TO GET US UNDER, SO NO CRISIS EXCEPT GETTING US DOWN IN TIME. IN EVERY INSTANCE I CAN REMEMBER EACH TELLS THE OTHER WHEN WE ARE 'OFF THE AIR.' WHY I NEGLECTED TO TELL THE F/O, I DON'T KNOW. WE TALKED ABOUT ASSUMING THE OTHER HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD CLRNC. HE SAYS HE JUST FLAT MISREAD THE INFO COMING FROM FMC. IF ANY ONE FAILURE WAS PROBABLY MY PREOCCUPATION WITH PLANNING FOR IND WX. WE (F/O AND I) HAVE DISCUSSED THIS INCIDENT AND NEITHER REMEMBERS THIS SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES HAPPENING BEFORE. RESULTS: MAKE SURE EVERYONE IN COCKPIT KNOWS EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON. DON'T ASSUME EVERYONE ELSE KNOWS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.