Advanced cockpit air carrier widebody transport fails to meet crossing restriction in descent to sju...

Attributes
ACN	143616
Time
Date	199004
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sju
State Reference	PR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zsu
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	143616
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our clearance was to cross 40 mi north of sju or 10000'. The captain put the 40 DME waypoint in the FMC and armed the profile descent. We descended down the FMS descent path. I had my navigation display tuned to the long range so it was difficult to see at a glance what our distance was to the waypoint. I adjusted to the shorter range when we were leaving FL270 to see that we were only 15 mi from the waypoint. From this position it would have been impossible to make the descent restriction so I informed the captain of this then I informed ATC that we would be unable to make the restriction. ATC gave us a right turn but never did amend our altitude clearance and we descended at maximum rate with numerous vectors. We arrived at 10000' about 25 north of sju. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. The captain and myself analyzed the event noting 2 main points: the FMC was properly programmed and appeared to be functioning normally, and the captain and myself should have been cross-checking VOR raw data with the FMS descent profile. This incident demonstrates the limitations of an 'electronic cockpit'. Basic flying skills should not be forgotten.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ADVANCED COCKPIT ACR WDB FAILS TO MEET CROSSING RESTRICTION IN DESCENT TO SJU, PR.

Narrative: OUR CLRNC WAS TO CROSS 40 MI N OF SJU OR 10000'. THE CAPT PUT THE 40 DME WAYPOINT IN THE FMC AND ARMED THE PROFILE DSNT. WE DESCENDED DOWN THE FMS DSNT PATH. I HAD MY NAVIGATION DISPLAY TUNED TO THE LONG RANGE SO IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE AT A GLANCE WHAT OUR DISTANCE WAS TO THE WAYPOINT. I ADJUSTED TO THE SHORTER RANGE WHEN WE WERE LEAVING FL270 TO SEE THAT WE WERE ONLY 15 MI FROM THE WAYPOINT. FROM THIS POSITION IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE THE DSNT RESTRICTION SO I INFORMED THE CAPT OF THIS THEN I INFORMED ATC THAT WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE THE RESTRICTION. ATC GAVE US A RIGHT TURN BUT NEVER DID AMEND OUR ALT CLRNC AND WE DESCENDED AT MAX RATE WITH NUMEROUS VECTORS. WE ARRIVED AT 10000' ABOUT 25 N OF SJU. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE CAPT AND MYSELF ANALYZED THE EVENT NOTING 2 MAIN POINTS: THE FMC WAS PROPERLY PROGRAMMED AND APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY, AND THE CAPT AND MYSELF SHOULD HAVE BEEN CROSS-CHECKING VOR RAW DATA WITH THE FMS DSNT PROFILE. THIS INCIDENT DEMONSTRATES THE LIMITATIONS OF AN 'ELECTRONIC COCKPIT'. BASIC FLYING SKILLS SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN.

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.

Advanced cockpit air carrier widebody transport fails to meet crossing restriction in descent to sju, pr.