Air carrier medium large transport altitude deviation undershot during descent.

Attributes
ACN	119289
Time
Date	198908
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : scy
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw tower : jfk
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 7900 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	119289
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight was from hou to dal. It was the captain's leg, and an attractive controller from ft worth center was on the cockpit jumpseat. This very senior captain was about to leave on a scuba diving trip, and talked nonstop to the female jumpseater upon discovering that she was also a diver. On the scurry nine arrival, the normal clearance for us is to cross beckx intersection (scy 313 degree/at 6 DME) at 7000', and that is what we were given by ft worth. Approaching the scy VOR, we were still in the ballpark for the 7000' restriction, but after turning outbnd on the 313 degree radial, we began to look a little high. Since it was still close, however, I said nothing. This was because a controller is still FAA, so why point out an error that she wouldn't otherwise pick up on while still talking scuba diving with the captain? The captain added power, however, to slow his descent further, and we crossed beckx at 8000' versus 7000', and didn't reach 7000' until roughly 11 DME. Regional approach said nothing on our call up, and I don't know if the jumpseater noticed or not. This could have been prevented entirely if this particular captain would pay attention to his job and observe some approximation of sterile cockpit below 10,000'.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEVIATION UNDERSHOT DURING DESCENT.

Narrative: FLT WAS FROM HOU TO DAL. IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG, AND AN ATTRACTIVE CTLR FROM FT WORTH CENTER WAS ON THE COCKPIT JUMPSEAT. THIS VERY SENIOR CAPT WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE ON A SCUBA DIVING TRIP, AND TALKED NONSTOP TO THE FEMALE JUMPSEATER UPON DISCOVERING THAT SHE WAS ALSO A DIVER. ON THE SCURRY NINE ARR, THE NORMAL CLRNC FOR US IS TO CROSS BECKX INTXN (SCY 313 DEG/AT 6 DME) AT 7000', AND THAT IS WHAT WE WERE GIVEN BY FT WORTH. APCHING THE SCY VOR, WE WERE STILL IN THE BALLPARK FOR THE 7000' RESTRICTION, BUT AFTER TURNING OUTBND ON THE 313 DEG RADIAL, WE BEGAN TO LOOK A LITTLE HIGH. SINCE IT WAS STILL CLOSE, HOWEVER, I SAID NOTHING. THIS WAS BECAUSE A CTLR IS STILL FAA, SO WHY POINT OUT AN ERROR THAT SHE WOULDN'T OTHERWISE PICK UP ON WHILE STILL TALKING SCUBA DIVING WITH THE CAPT? THE CAPT ADDED POWER, HOWEVER, TO SLOW HIS DSCNT FURTHER, AND WE CROSSED BECKX AT 8000' VERSUS 7000', AND DIDN'T REACH 7000' UNTIL ROUGHLY 11 DME. REGIONAL APCH SAID NOTHING ON OUR CALL UP, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE JUMPSEATER NOTICED OR NOT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED ENTIRELY IF THIS PARTICULAR CAPT WOULD PAY ATTN TO HIS JOB AND OBSERVE SOME APPROXIMATION OF STERILE COCKPIT BELOW 10,000'.

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.