Crossing restriction not made as altitude is busted though autoplt set up.

Attributes
ACN	139884
Time
Date	199003
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13000 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bwi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival : profile descent arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zla
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	139884
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descending on the civet profiled descent approximately 4 NM east of civet I realized we were at about 13000' when, according to the profile descent, we should have been at or above 14000'. The FMC had been properly programmed for the routing, including altitude instructions. Earlier in the descent the FMC, when programmed for 300 KTS (per ATC), would not maintain the airspeed requested very well. At that time I selected vs and used the wheel to control my descent at 1000 FPM and 300 KTS. The next time I looked up the MCP was operating with the speed mode selected, which confused me because I had not selected that mode. I reselected the vs mode. Again I looked back up in my scan and the speed mode had been reselected. I commented to the captain as to why the MCP kept going over to the speed mode and he informed me that he had selected it and preferred me to fly in that mode. We both are new in the aircraft. When the captain selected speed he had also set 10000' in the MCP, not understanding that the FMC would not capture at 14000'. Being new in the aircraft I am comfortable when flying in vs. I'll fly in vs (depending on the phase of the flight). I was uncomfortable as well as confused, still thinking that civet would be captured at 14000'. Then he went off the air to talk to company, I caught the altitude deviation at 13000' and tried to correct. The controller issued instructions to amend altitude to maintain 13000' and noted on the profile civet should have been crossed at 14000'. I do not believe there was a conflict with traffic. The captain then proceeded to tell me how to fly every phase of the approach from then on. Contributing factors: 1) captain should not have been off the air at that phase of the flight. Calls should have been made earlier. 2) 2 pilots fairly new in the aircraft. 3) captain punching buttons on the FMC west/O informing the PF. 4) captain not letting the first officer fly the leg west/O constant flight instruction. 5) FMC should have been better understood.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CROSSING RESTRICTION NOT MADE AS ALT IS BUSTED THOUGH AUTOPLT SET UP.

Narrative: DSNDING ON THE CIVET PROFILED DSCNT APPROX 4 NM E OF CIVET I REALIZED WE WERE AT ABOUT 13000' WHEN, ACCORDING TO THE PROFILE DSCNT, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT OR ABOVE 14000'. THE FMC HAD BEEN PROPERLY PROGRAMMED FOR THE ROUTING, INCLUDING ALT INSTRUCTIONS. EARLIER IN THE DSCNT THE FMC, WHEN PROGRAMMED FOR 300 KTS (PER ATC), WOULD NOT MAINTAIN THE AIRSPD REQUESTED VERY WELL. AT THAT TIME I SELECTED VS AND USED THE WHEEL TO CONTROL MY DSCNT AT 1000 FPM AND 300 KTS. THE NEXT TIME I LOOKED UP THE MCP WAS OPERATING WITH THE SPD MODE SELECTED, WHICH CONFUSED ME BECAUSE I HAD NOT SELECTED THAT MODE. I RESELECTED THE VS MODE. AGAIN I LOOKED BACK UP IN MY SCAN AND THE SPD MODE HAD BEEN RESELECTED. I COMMENTED TO THE CAPT AS TO WHY THE MCP KEPT GOING OVER TO THE SPD MODE AND HE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD SELECTED IT AND PREFERRED ME TO FLY IN THAT MODE. WE BOTH ARE NEW IN THE ACFT. WHEN THE CAPT SELECTED SPD HE HAD ALSO SET 10000' IN THE MCP, NOT UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FMC WOULD NOT CAPTURE AT 14000'. BEING NEW IN THE ACFT I AM COMFORTABLE WHEN FLYING IN VS. I'LL FLY IN VS (DEPENDING ON THE PHASE OF THE FLT). I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE AS WELL AS CONFUSED, STILL THINKING THAT CIVET WOULD BE CAPTURED AT 14000'. THEN HE WENT OFF THE AIR TO TALK TO COMPANY, I CAUGHT THE ALT DEVIATION AT 13000' AND TRIED TO CORRECT. THE CTLR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO AMEND ALT TO MAINTAIN 13000' AND NOTED ON THE PROFILE CIVET SHOULD HAVE BEEN CROSSED AT 14000'. I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS A CONFLICT WITH TFC. THE CAPT THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME HOW TO FLY EVERY PHASE OF THE APCH FROM THEN ON. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) CAPT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OFF THE AIR AT THAT PHASE OF THE FLT. CALLS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE EARLIER. 2) 2 PLTS FAIRLY NEW IN THE ACFT. 3) CAPT PUNCHING BUTTONS ON THE FMC W/O INFORMING THE PF. 4) CAPT NOT LETTING THE F/O FLY THE LEG W/O CONSTANT FLT INSTRUCTION. 5) FMC SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER UNDERSTOOD.

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.