Air carrier medium large transport altitude deviation crossing restriction not met.

Attributes
ACN	109060
Time
Date	198904
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gdm
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star enroute airway : zbw
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	109060
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We had been cleared to cross bronc intersection at 11000'/250 KTS, but due to the fact that the captain had been distracted, and first officer (who was flying) had his DME on alb, we were late in beginning descent. When queried by controller at 5 DME west of gdm, we began descent at 0 thrust, vmo 250 KTS, speed brakes extended. We missed the restriction by 5 mi, crossing bronc at 14000'. (Controller had given us permission to make altitude first, then airspeed.) no further complaints from controller, but the silence prompted us to fill out this report. Contributing factor: this may seem stretching the point, but I feel the major reason for the captain's distraction was the previous controller. Let me describe our exchanges, which are completely unrelated to the incident. The controller advised us of opposing traffic when we were half way between alb and gdm. We were at FL290, he was at FL310. Having just leveled off at FL290, I responded to the traffic advisory by saying: 'company identify, maintaining 290.' this was not sufficient acknowledgement for the controller, so he repeated the advisory. Slightly irritated, I said, 'roger.' then I started playing a game of CAT and mouse by refusing to respond when he reported, 'traffic no longer a factor.' with no response, he repeated, 'traffic no longer a factor.' and a third time, ending with, '...if you read, respond with identify.' (no response on my part.) finally, he gave me a frequency for a handoff to next center controller, asking for a response with an identify. I responded politely and verbally (west/O an identify) and switched frequencys before he could respond. As this was going on, I did think to myself, 'it's about time to descend,' but my irritations distracted me. The object, of course, is to cooperate and refuse to be irritated, but the sheer volume of radio chatter builds up my frustration and prompts me to seek ways to avoid unnecessary transmission. It would have been the polite thing to respond when I thought it unnecessary, but I just couldn't believe he needed a response to 'traffic no longer a factor.' anger and flying are poor bedfellows!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEVIATION CROSSING RESTRICTION NOT MET.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO CROSS BRONC INTXN AT 11000'/250 KTS, BUT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE CAPT HAD BEEN DISTRACTED, AND F/O (WHO WAS FLYING) HAD HIS DME ON ALB, WE WERE LATE IN BEGINNING DSCNT. WHEN QUERIED BY CTLR AT 5 DME W OF GDM, WE BEGAN DSCNT AT 0 THRUST, VMO 250 KTS, SPD BRAKES EXTENDED. WE MISSED THE RESTRICTION BY 5 MI, XING BRONC AT 14000'. (CTLR HAD GIVEN US PERMISSION TO MAKE ALT FIRST, THEN AIRSPD.) NO FURTHER COMPLAINTS FROM CTLR, BUT THE SILENCE PROMPTED US TO FILL OUT THIS RPT. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: THIS MAY SEEM STRETCHING THE POINT, BUT I FEEL THE MAJOR REASON FOR THE CAPT'S DISTR WAS THE PREVIOUS CTLR. LET ME DESCRIBE OUR EXCHANGES, WHICH ARE COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO THE INCIDENT. THE CTLR ADVISED US OF OPPOSING TFC WHEN WE WERE HALF WAY BTWN ALB AND GDM. WE WERE AT FL290, HE WAS AT FL310. HAVING JUST LEVELED OFF AT FL290, I RESPONDED TO THE TFC ADVISORY BY SAYING: 'COMPANY IDENT, MAINTAINING 290.' THIS WAS NOT SUFFICIENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FOR THE CTLR, SO HE REPEATED THE ADVISORY. SLIGHTLY IRRITATED, I SAID, 'ROGER.' THEN I STARTED PLAYING A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE BY REFUSING TO RESPOND WHEN HE RPTED, 'TFC NO LONGER A FACTOR.' WITH NO RESPONSE, HE REPEATED, 'TFC NO LONGER A FACTOR.' AND A THIRD TIME, ENDING WITH, '...IF YOU READ, RESPOND WITH IDENT.' (NO RESPONSE ON MY PART.) FINALLY, HE GAVE ME A FREQ FOR A HDOF TO NEXT CENTER CTLR, ASKING FOR A RESPONSE WITH AN IDENT. I RESPONDED POLITELY AND VERBALLY (W/O AN IDENT) AND SWITCHED FREQS BEFORE HE COULD RESPOND. AS THIS WAS GOING ON, I DID THINK TO MYSELF, 'IT'S ABOUT TIME TO DSND,' BUT MY IRRITATIONS DISTRACTED ME. THE OBJECT, OF COURSE, IS TO COOPERATE AND REFUSE TO BE IRRITATED, BUT THE SHEER VOLUME OF RADIO CHATTER BUILDS UP MY FRUSTRATION AND PROMPTS ME TO SEEK WAYS TO AVOID UNNECESSARY XMISSION. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE POLITE THING TO RESPOND WHEN I THOUGHT IT UNNECESSARY, BUT I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE HE NEEDED A RESPONSE TO 'TFC NO LONGER A FACTOR.' ANGER AND FLYING ARE POOR BEDFELLOWS!

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.