Narrative:

On the buj 2 arrival, lit transition to dfw at approximately 65 DME buj VOR, we were cleared to cross buj VOR at 11000' and baton intersection at 9000'. The first officer was flying the aircraft and was maintaining a high rate of descent using spdbrakes due to the late notice of the crossing restrictions. The first officer had understood the crossing restriction at buj to be 11000' or below and had set 9000' in the altitude alert. My attention was diverted by the fact that we had a minor FMC problem and was also trying to get our company changeover #south through ACARS, which was interrupted by a (no communication) condition. At about 11200' I realized we still had a high sink rate and brought the 11000' restriction to the first officer's attention, but the aircraft descended to 10650' before stopping the descent. I believe several factors caused our breaking an altitude. One was the rapid descent needed due to being held high on the initial part of the STAR arrival. Another was the problem with the FMC unit and yet another was the glitch with the ACARS. Needless to say, communications between human beings will always continue to be part of the overall problem. On 2-M high performance aircraft, automation is supposed to relieve the pilots of a high workload, but when even minor problems occur, one's attention can be greatly diverted. I believe that in our present day 2-M aircraft, 1 pilot is routinely taken out of the loop by even ordinary changes necessary in our high density environment. I'm sorry to say I see no early or easy cure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION. OVERSHOOT ON DESCENT.

Narrative: ON THE BUJ 2 ARR, LIT TRANSITION TO DFW AT APPROX 65 DME BUJ VOR, WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS BUJ VOR AT 11000' AND BATON INTXN AT 9000'. THE F/O WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND WAS MAINTAINING A HIGH RATE OF DSNT USING SPDBRAKES DUE TO THE LATE NOTICE OF THE XING RESTRICTIONS. THE F/O HAD UNDERSTOOD THE XING RESTRICTION AT BUJ TO BE 11000' OR BELOW AND HAD SET 9000' IN THE ALT ALERT. MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED BY THE FACT THAT WE HAD A MINOR FMC PROB AND WAS ALSO TRYING TO GET OUR COMPANY CHANGEOVER #S THROUGH ACARS, WHICH WAS INTERRUPTED BY A (NO COM) CONDITION. AT ABOUT 11200' I REALIZED WE STILL HAD A HIGH SINK RATE AND BROUGHT THE 11000' RESTRICTION TO THE F/O'S ATTN, BUT THE ACFT DSNDED TO 10650' BEFORE STOPPING THE DSNT. I BELIEVE SEVERAL FACTORS CAUSED OUR BREAKING AN ALT. ONE WAS THE RAPID DSNT NEEDED DUE TO BEING HELD HIGH ON THE INITIAL PART OF THE STAR ARR. ANOTHER WAS THE PROB WITH THE FMC UNIT AND YET ANOTHER WAS THE GLITCH WITH THE ACARS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, COMS BTWN HUMAN BEINGS WILL ALWAYS CONTINUE TO BE PART OF THE OVERALL PROB. ON 2-M HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT, AUTOMATION IS SUPPOSED TO RELIEVE THE PLTS OF A HIGH WORKLOAD, BUT WHEN EVEN MINOR PROBS OCCUR, ONE'S ATTN CAN BE GREATLY DIVERTED. I BELIEVE THAT IN OUR PRESENT DAY 2-M ACFT, 1 PLT IS ROUTINELY TAKEN OUT OF THE LOOP BY EVEN ORDINARY CHANGES NECESSARY IN OUR HIGH DENSITY ENVIRONMENT. I'M SORRY TO SAY I SEE NO EARLY OR EASY CURE.

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.