Altitude deviation. Undershoot on descent. Crossing restriction not met.

Attributes
ACN	129915
Time
Date	198912
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pmd
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : edw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	129915
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	130407
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot 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:

We were cleared the lynxx 5 arrival daggett transition. Navigating by FMC we were coupled to the autoplt in LNAV and VNAV. Anticipating crossing restrictions as pmd (13000' or below) and janny (8000'), we programmed the FMC accordingly. Our cruise altitude was FL280. After daggett, we were cleared to FL240. We were held at FL240 for 4-5 mins, which would be putting us tight for the restrictions. We were then cleared to FL190. My first mistake was I entered FL190 into the FMC. I should have entered capture on the descent page. We were then given crossing restrictions at pmd and janny intersection. I entered 8000' into the MCP altitude window. At this time, VNAV disconnected because a path descent to meet restrictions was unable due to distance and strong tailwind. Our rate of descent was only 1500-2000 FPM, when it should have been 9000 FPM. I finally realized that we were not VNAV coupled. I disconnected autoplt and increased rate of descent. We realized we were going to be high at pmd (approximately 2000'). We notified edw approach we would be high at pmd, but could make janny at 8000'. We just barely made janny at 8000', and notified edw approach we were at 8000'. In conclusion, the following points and procedures should have accomplished. 1) should have been backing myself up with /first officer raw data on VOR DME. A) I would have realized much sooner I was becoming high on my profile descent. 2) during this critical descent period, my first officer was busy obtaining ATIS and ground information,so his eyes on (raw data information) backup were missing at a most crucial time. (Note: receiving ATIS is normally done at this time due to mountains surrounding burbank.) also a contributing cause of this incident: this was my first flight in 2 weeks flying the advanced navigation system (FMC) in the medium large transport a. For the past 2 weeks, I had been in our medium large transport B aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 130407: captain entered the FMC cruise page and entered each altitude change instead of going to the descent page and selecting an intercept descent on that page.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION. UNDERSHOOT ON DESCENT. CROSSING RESTRICTION NOT MET.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED THE LYNXX 5 ARR DAGGETT TRANSITION. NAVIGATING BY FMC WE WERE COUPLED TO THE AUTOPLT IN LNAV AND VNAV. ANTICIPATING XING RESTRICTIONS AS PMD (13000' OR BELOW) AND JANNY (8000'), WE PROGRAMMED THE FMC ACCORDINGLY. OUR CRUISE ALT WAS FL280. AFTER DAGGETT, WE WERE CLRED TO FL240. WE WERE HELD AT FL240 FOR 4-5 MINS, WHICH WOULD BE PUTTING US TIGHT FOR THE RESTRICTIONS. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO FL190. MY FIRST MISTAKE WAS I ENTERED FL190 INTO THE FMC. I SHOULD HAVE ENTERED CAPTURE ON THE DSCNT PAGE. WE WERE THEN GIVEN XING RESTRICTIONS AT PMD AND JANNY INTXN. I ENTERED 8000' INTO THE MCP ALT WINDOW. AT THIS TIME, VNAV DISCONNECTED BECAUSE A PATH DSCNT TO MEET RESTRICTIONS WAS UNABLE DUE TO DISTANCE AND STRONG TAILWIND. OUR RATE OF DSCNT WAS ONLY 1500-2000 FPM, WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 9000 FPM. I FINALLY REALIZED THAT WE WERE NOT VNAV COUPLED. I DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND INCREASED RATE OF DSCNT. WE REALIZED WE WERE GOING TO BE HIGH AT PMD (APPROX 2000'). WE NOTIFIED EDW APCH WE WOULD BE HIGH AT PMD, BUT COULD MAKE JANNY AT 8000'. WE JUST BARELY MADE JANNY AT 8000', AND NOTIFIED EDW APCH WE WERE AT 8000'. IN CONCLUSION, THE FOLLOWING POINTS AND PROCS SHOULD HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. 1) SHOULD HAVE BEEN BACKING MYSELF UP WITH /FO RAW DATA ON VOR DME. A) I WOULD HAVE REALIZED MUCH SOONER I WAS BECOMING HIGH ON MY PROFILE DSCNT. 2) DURING THIS CRITICAL DSCNT PERIOD, MY F/O WAS BUSY OBTAINING ATIS AND GND INFO,SO HIS EYES ON (RAW DATA INFO) BACKUP WERE MISSING AT A MOST CRUCIAL TIME. (NOTE: RECEIVING ATIS IS NORMALLY DONE AT THIS TIME DUE TO MOUNTAINS SURROUNDING BURBANK.) ALSO A CONTRIBUTING CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT: THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT IN 2 WKS FLYING THE ADVANCED NAV SYS (FMC) IN THE MLG A. FOR THE PAST 2 WKS, I HAD BEEN IN OUR MLG B ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 130407: CAPT ENTERED THE FMC CRUISE PAGE AND ENTERED EACH ALT CHANGE INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE DSCNT PAGE AND SELECTING AN INTERCEPT DSCNT ON THAT PAGE.

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.