Narrative:

As captain of airlines flight from lga to clt, cruising at FL220 approximately 20-25 min from landing, beginning our landing preparation of obtaining the current ATIS information and contacting the company for gate information and aircraft servicing. I was the PIC and the PNF on this leg. Just before I left the ATC frequency we were given a clearance to cross majic intersection at 12,000' and 250 KTS. My copilot then started his descent (in plenty of time to make the restriction) and armed the FMC to capture the descent path for this restriction. At this time I advised my copilot that I was leaving the ATC frequency to contact the company, which he acknowledged. Due to frequency congestion and some confusing information on our arrival gate and equipment change, I was off the ATC frequency and out of the 2-MAN crew 'loop' longer than anticipated. When I returned to the ATC frequency the clt approach controller was just asking us if we were going to make our crossing, at which time my copilot responded by saying we would. I then looked at our altitude and DME and realized that we would not make the restriction and immediately advised the controller that we would only make the altitude restriction and not the speed restriction. We continued to slow the aircraft to 250 KTS. After we got on the ground and parked at the gate I asked the copilot why he was unable to comply with the crossing restriction. He said that the VNAV must have kicked off and he was not aware of it. ( Suspect it never did capture the descent path. He probably pressed the VNAV select but not hard enough to engage.) since I first heard of the FAA issuing violations for not making crossing restrictions, I have been encouraging my coplts to start the descent early so there will be no chance of not making a restriction. In this particular incident my copilot started down about 5-8 mi ahead of FMC top of descent, so I was confident that he would make the restriction with no problem at the time I left the ATC frequency. (Our intent was to make the restriction early.) until such time that the 2-MAN crew can receive extraneous information via ACARS or some other radio link with a digital display, so one of the crew members will not have to be out of the 'loop', this will continue to be a problem. I might also add that the ATIS information should be limited to the WX and active runway. This system is being abused and in too many cases there is so much extraneous information on all the construction and closed txwys, etc, it requires the PNF to be out of the '2-man crew loop' for too long a period of time to receive and copy it all. As far as txwys being closed, it should be the responsibility of ground control to issue this information as it only affects your taxi route. I also want to add, that in my opinion crossing restrictions cannot be guaranteed because of all the factors involved. All pilots do their best to make crossing restrictions. The FAA's current practice to file violations for same is pure harassment and is counterproductive to safety. The 2-MAN crews that do most of their flying in the high traffic northeast united states sector are constantly exposed to this kind of pressure when they already have enough to cope with in this high workload environment causing unnecessary stress to the crews.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG ON DESCENT MADE CROSSING ALT BUT UNABLE COMPLY WITH SPEED RESTRICTION.

Narrative: AS CAPT OF AIRLINES FLT FROM LGA TO CLT, CRUISING AT FL220 APPROX 20-25 MIN FROM LNDG, BEGINNING OUR LNDG PREPARATION OF OBTAINING THE CURRENT ATIS INFO AND CONTACTING THE COMPANY FOR GATE INFO AND ACFT SERVICING. I WAS THE PIC AND THE PNF ON THIS LEG. JUST BEFORE I LEFT THE ATC FREQ WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS MAJIC INTXN AT 12,000' AND 250 KTS. MY COPLT THEN STARTED HIS DSCNT (IN PLENTY OF TIME TO MAKE THE RESTRICTION) AND ARMED THE FMC TO CAPTURE THE DSCNT PATH FOR THIS RESTRICTION. AT THIS TIME I ADVISED MY COPLT THAT I WAS LEAVING THE ATC FREQ TO CONTACT THE COMPANY, WHICH HE ACKNOWLEDGED. DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION AND SOME CONFUSING INFO ON OUR ARR GATE AND EQUIPMENT CHANGE, I WAS OFF THE ATC FREQ AND OUT OF THE 2-MAN CREW 'LOOP' LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE ATC FREQ THE CLT APCH CTLR WAS JUST ASKING US IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE OUR XING, AT WHICH TIME MY COPLT RESPONDED BY SAYING WE WOULD. I THEN LOOKED AT OUR ALT AND DME AND REALIZED THAT WE WOULD NOT MAKE THE RESTRICTION AND IMMEDIATELY ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE WOULD ONLY MAKE THE ALT RESTRICTION AND NOT THE SPEED RESTRICTION. WE CONTINUED TO SLOW THE ACFT TO 250 KTS. AFTER WE GOT ON THE GND AND PARKED AT THE GATE I ASKED THE COPLT WHY HE WAS UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH THE XING RESTRICTION. HE SAID THAT THE VNAV MUST HAVE KICKED OFF AND HE WAS NOT AWARE OF IT. ( SUSPECT IT NEVER DID CAPTURE THE DSCNT PATH. HE PROBABLY PRESSED THE VNAV SELECT BUT NOT HARD ENOUGH TO ENGAGE.) SINCE I FIRST HEARD OF THE FAA ISSUING VIOLATIONS FOR NOT MAKING XING RESTRICTIONS, I HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGING MY COPLTS TO START THE DSCNT EARLY SO THERE WILL BE NO CHANCE OF NOT MAKING A RESTRICTION. IN THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT MY COPLT STARTED DOWN ABOUT 5-8 MI AHEAD OF FMC TOP OF DSCNT, SO I WAS CONFIDENT THAT HE WOULD MAKE THE RESTRICTION WITH NO PROBLEM AT THE TIME I LEFT THE ATC FREQ. (OUR INTENT WAS TO MAKE THE RESTRICTION EARLY.) UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THE 2-MAN CREW CAN RECEIVE EXTRANEOUS INFO VIA ACARS OR SOME OTHER RADIO LINK WITH A DIGITAL DISPLAY, SO ONE OF THE CREW MEMBERS WILL NOT HAVE TO BE OUT OF THE 'LOOP', THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PROBLEM. I MIGHT ALSO ADD THAT THE ATIS INFO SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE WX AND ACTIVE RWY. THIS SYSTEM IS BEING ABUSED AND IN TOO MANY CASES THERE IS SO MUCH EXTRANEOUS INFO ON ALL THE CONSTRUCTION AND CLOSED TXWYS, ETC, IT REQUIRES THE PNF TO BE OUT OF THE '2-MAN CREW LOOP' FOR TOO LONG A PERIOD OF TIME TO RECEIVE AND COPY IT ALL. AS FAR AS TXWYS BEING CLOSED, IT SHOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GND CTL TO ISSUE THIS INFO AS IT ONLY AFFECTS YOUR TAXI ROUTE. I ALSO WANT TO ADD, THAT IN MY OPINION XING RESTRICTIONS CANNOT BE GUARANTEED BECAUSE OF ALL THE FACTORS INVOLVED. ALL PLTS DO THEIR BEST TO MAKE XING RESTRICTIONS. THE FAA'S CURRENT PRACTICE TO FILE VIOLATIONS FOR SAME IS PURE HARASSMENT AND IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO SAFETY. THE 2-MAN CREWS THAT DO MOST OF THEIR FLYING IN THE HIGH TFC NE UNITED STATES SECTOR ARE CONSTANTLY EXPOSED TO THIS KIND OF PRESSURE WHEN THEY ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH TO COPE WITH IN THIS HIGH WORKLOAD ENVIRONMENT CAUSING UNNECESSARY STRESS TO THE CREWS.

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.