Narrative:

The flight was cruising at FL210. Approximately 100 NM from yqg, we were cleared to cross cratr intersection at 10000' MSL. The captain was flying the aircraft so I acknowledged the clearance and switched to the secondary radio to copy ATIS on frequency 120.75. This frequency is congested and it took a while to copy the information. Also, because of this congestion, it can't be copied until close to det. When I returned to the primary radio, the captain was in his descent profile approaching FL180, so he called for the approach descent checklist. I completed the checklist and noticed that we were nearly 70 NM from windsor at over 17000' MSL. I referred to my arwy map to check the cratr DME before I advised the captain. As I did, the captain said: 'cratr is 49 mi, right?' when I told him that it was 60 NM, he asked me to inform ZOB that we would not make the restriction (crater at 10000'). At that moment, ZOB asked us if we would be able to make the restriction and I responded that we would not and requested a new altitude/heading. (This occurred around 8-10 NM prior to cratr at around 15000'.) they cleared us to 12000' and turned us to a 270 degree heading. Later we were turned back to intercept the arwy and switched to det approach control. We were never made aware of any traffic conflicts. However, the captain was asked to contact a center supervisor at det. They told him that the call was for information only and that no action would be taken. The primary cause of this occurrence was a misread arwy map and the captain's mistaken impression that cratr was 49 NM from windsor. But, it is not that simple. ATIS frequency congestion took me away from my other duties for entirely too long a time and it would have been useless to have tried to have monitored the frequency any sooner. This is congested airspace and the workload is high. Had I been available to backup the captain sooner, we would have easily made the restriction. Many areas of the country have ATIS frequencys that are shared by another station that is entirely too close and that creates conflicts. The workload in a 2-M cockpit is too great for this situation to go on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLT CREW MISREAD CHART, MISSED CROSSING RESTRICTION. ALSO FREQ CONGESTION ON ATIS.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS CRUISING AT FL210. APPROX 100 NM FROM YQG, WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS CRATR INTXN AT 10000' MSL. THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT SO I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND SWITCHED TO THE SECONDARY RADIO TO COPY ATIS ON FREQ 120.75. THIS FREQ IS CONGESTED AND IT TOOK A WHILE TO COPY THE INFO. ALSO, BECAUSE OF THIS CONGESTION, IT CAN'T BE COPIED UNTIL CLOSE TO DET. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE PRIMARY RADIO, THE CAPT WAS IN HIS DSCNT PROFILE APCHING FL180, SO HE CALLED FOR THE APCH DSCNT CHKLIST. I COMPLETED THE CHKLIST AND NOTICED THAT WE WERE NEARLY 70 NM FROM WINDSOR AT OVER 17000' MSL. I REFERRED TO MY ARWY MAP TO CHK THE CRATR DME BEFORE I ADVISED THE CAPT. AS I DID, THE CAPT SAID: 'CRATR IS 49 MI, RIGHT?' WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS 60 NM, HE ASKED ME TO INFORM ZOB THAT WE WOULD NOT MAKE THE RESTRICTION (CRATER AT 10000'). AT THAT MOMENT, ZOB ASKED US IF WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THE RESTRICTION AND I RESPONDED THAT WE WOULD NOT AND REQUESTED A NEW ALT/HDG. (THIS OCCURRED AROUND 8-10 NM PRIOR TO CRATR AT AROUND 15000'.) THEY CLRED US TO 12000' AND TURNED US TO A 270 DEG HDG. LATER WE WERE TURNED BACK TO INTERCEPT THE ARWY AND SWITCHED TO DET APCH CTL. WE WERE NEVER MADE AWARE OF ANY TFC CONFLICTS. HOWEVER, THE CAPT WAS ASKED TO CONTACT A CENTER SUPVR AT DET. THEY TOLD HIM THAT THE CALL WAS FOR INFO ONLY AND THAT NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS OCCURRENCE WAS A MISREAD ARWY MAP AND THE CAPT'S MISTAKEN IMPRESSION THAT CRATR WAS 49 NM FROM WINDSOR. BUT, IT IS NOT THAT SIMPLE. ATIS FREQ CONGESTION TOOK ME AWAY FROM MY OTHER DUTIES FOR ENTIRELY TOO LONG A TIME AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN USELESS TO HAVE TRIED TO HAVE MONITORED THE FREQ ANY SOONER. THIS IS CONGESTED AIRSPACE AND THE WORKLOAD IS HIGH. HAD I BEEN AVAILABLE TO BACKUP THE CAPT SOONER, WE WOULD HAVE EASILY MADE THE RESTRICTION. MANY AREAS OF THE COUNTRY HAVE ATIS FREQS THAT ARE SHARED BY ANOTHER STATION THAT IS ENTIRELY TOO CLOSE AND THAT CREATES CONFLICTS. THE WORKLOAD IN A 2-M COCKPIT IS TOO GREAT FOR THIS SITUATION TO GO ON.

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.