Narrative:

Captain flying aircraft on autoplt. Slow descent to 12000' with a crossing restriction of 12000' at canuk intersection. FMS programmed for VNAV crossing. At approximately 21000', ZTL asked if we were going to make the crossing restriction. I looked at the VNAV profile indicator, which showed us below optimum profile and answered 'yes.' however upon looking at the mileage to the fix, we realized we would have trouble. Captain deployed spoilers, increased airspeed. We missed the fix by about 2000', but leveled at 12000' about .6 mi later. Atl approach did not seem to notice. Crew trusted FMS profile to the exclusion of raw data. Change in latitude navigation routing had apparently altered accuracy of VNAV profile. Captain and first officer attention was divided by conversation with jump seat rider. ZTL's question prompting our corrective action occurred where we would normally have leveled and begun slowing. Otherwise, crew would have probably missed restriction completely. Captain and first officer had flown together the entire month. We had come to trust one another, perhaps too much. Captain and first officer both had flown large transport long enough to trust VNAV/FMS in making crossing restrictions. Because the FMS was misprogrammed, all indications of a late crossing were ignored; i.e., the green arc, the raw distance to the crossing fix vs actual altitude. Captain did not encourage participation of the PNF. When it was his leg, he did not like suggestions on how to do his job. Copilot had been conditioned by flying with this captain all month. Was not as vigilant as he should have been.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ACR LGT FAILS TO MEET CROSSING RESTRICTION. VERTICAL NAVIGATION MISPROGRAMMED IN FMS AND NOT CAUGHT.

Narrative: CAPT FLYING ACFT ON AUTOPLT. SLOW DSCNT TO 12000' WITH A XING RESTRICTION OF 12000' AT CANUK INTXN. FMS PROGRAMMED FOR VNAV XING. AT APPROX 21000', ZTL ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE XING RESTRICTION. I LOOKED AT THE VNAV PROFILE INDICATOR, WHICH SHOWED US BELOW OPTIMUM PROFILE AND ANSWERED 'YES.' HOWEVER UPON LOOKING AT THE MILEAGE TO THE FIX, WE REALIZED WE WOULD HAVE TROUBLE. CAPT DEPLOYED SPOILERS, INCREASED AIRSPEED. WE MISSED THE FIX BY ABOUT 2000', BUT LEVELED AT 12000' ABOUT .6 MI LATER. ATL APCH DID NOT SEEM TO NOTICE. CREW TRUSTED FMS PROFILE TO THE EXCLUSION OF RAW DATA. CHANGE IN LAT NAV ROUTING HAD APPARENTLY ALTERED ACCURACY OF VNAV PROFILE. CAPT AND F/O ATTN WAS DIVIDED BY CONVERSATION WITH JUMP SEAT RIDER. ZTL'S QUESTION PROMPTING OUR CORRECTIVE ACTION OCCURRED WHERE WE WOULD NORMALLY HAVE LEVELED AND BEGUN SLOWING. OTHERWISE, CREW WOULD HAVE PROBABLY MISSED RESTRICTION COMPLETELY. CAPT AND F/O HAD FLOWN TOGETHER THE ENTIRE MONTH. WE HAD COME TO TRUST ONE ANOTHER, PERHAPS TOO MUCH. CAPT AND F/O BOTH HAD FLOWN LGT LONG ENOUGH TO TRUST VNAV/FMS IN MAKING XING RESTRICTIONS. BECAUSE THE FMS WAS MISPROGRAMMED, ALL INDICATIONS OF A LATE XING WERE IGNORED; I.E., THE GREEN ARC, THE RAW DISTANCE TO THE XING FIX VS ACTUAL ALT. CAPT DID NOT ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF THE PNF. WHEN IT WAS HIS LEG, HE DID NOT LIKE SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO DO HIS JOB. COPLT HAD BEEN CONDITIONED BY FLYING WITH THIS CAPT ALL MONTH. WAS NOT AS VIGILANT AS HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.