Flight crew of advanced medium large transport failed to make crossing restriction.

Attributes
ACN	148302
Time
Date	199006
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mxe
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 19500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
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 descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	148302
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On descent into bwi, the captain was flying and I was working the radios. Clearance was received and read back to cross 15 northeast of modena at FL180. The captain programmed the FMC (autoplt was flying) using the fix page. This page on the FMC asked for fix (modena or mxe), and it will give you distance and bearing. A second option on this page is downtrack fix. The captain selected a point which he thought was 18 mi from modena (on our side) by punching in 18 in the dtk area. The computer created a waypoint which the captain placed in the legs page and put in the altitude restriction of 18000'. With the autoplt in VNAV it should have descended to cross 3 mi earlier than 15 northeast of mxe. I was monitoring the route on my side with raw data. As the descent was initiated, one of the F/a's came into the cockpit and was describing a write-up with a cart to me so I could call operations about it. The last time I looked up the autoplt was descending to 18000'. After the first officer left the cockpit I saw we were not going to make the restriction and asked the captain about it. He said that according to the computer we were on schedule, but he would extend the speed brakes to make sure. In actuality the point that the computer was looking at was 18 mi on the other side of mxe, and we were about 1500' high on a proper profile for sne. We subsequently crossed 15 mi north of mxe at 19300' and mxe at about 18000', despite our efforts to recover (the speed brakes were extended at 21000' and approximately 25 mi from mxe). Contributing factors were not rechking the waypoint that was built (the captain had been flying th aircraft for 3 yrs and I had only been on it for 1 1/2 months), distraction from the F/a's at a critical phase of flight and blindly trusting both man and machine to fly the aircraft. As we were turned over to the next center we were cleared on down to 15000' (this was ZDC). On the ground we called supervisor of ny ARTCC at the time, and he said on conflict occurred. Also I have had no formal training on building restrictions in the computer from my company.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF ADVANCED MLG FAILED TO MAKE CROSSING RESTRICTION.

Narrative: ON DSNT INTO BWI, THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. CLRNC WAS RECEIVED AND READ BACK TO CROSS 15 NE OF MODENA AT FL180. THE CAPT PROGRAMMED THE FMC (AUTOPLT WAS FLYING) USING THE FIX PAGE. THIS PAGE ON THE FMC ASKED FOR FIX (MODENA OR MXE), AND IT WILL GIVE YOU DISTANCE AND BEARING. A SECOND OPTION ON THIS PAGE IS DOWNTRACK FIX. THE CAPT SELECTED A POINT WHICH HE THOUGHT WAS 18 MI FROM MODENA (ON OUR SIDE) BY PUNCHING IN 18 IN THE DTK AREA. THE COMPUTER CREATED A WAYPOINT WHICH THE CAPT PLACED IN THE LEGS PAGE AND PUT IN THE ALT RESTRICTION OF 18000'. WITH THE AUTOPLT IN VNAV IT SHOULD HAVE DSNDED TO CROSS 3 MI EARLIER THAN 15 NE OF MXE. I WAS MONITORING THE RTE ON MY SIDE WITH RAW DATA. AS THE DSNT WAS INITIATED, ONE OF THE F/A'S CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND WAS DESCRIBING A WRITE-UP WITH A CART TO ME SO I COULD CALL OPS ABOUT IT. THE LAST TIME I LOOKED UP THE AUTOPLT WAS DSNDING TO 18000'. AFTER THE F/O LEFT THE COCKPIT I SAW WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RESTRICTION AND ASKED THE CAPT ABOUT IT. HE SAID THAT ACCORDING TO THE COMPUTER WE WERE ON SCHEDULE, BUT HE WOULD EXTEND THE SPD BRAKES TO MAKE SURE. IN ACTUALITY THE POINT THAT THE COMPUTER WAS LOOKING AT WAS 18 MI ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MXE, AND WE WERE ABOUT 1500' HIGH ON A PROPER PROFILE FOR SNE. WE SUBSEQUENTLY CROSSED 15 MI N OF MXE AT 19300' AND MXE AT ABOUT 18000', DESPITE OUR EFFORTS TO RECOVER (THE SPD BRAKES WERE EXTENDED AT 21000' AND APPROX 25 MI FROM MXE). CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE NOT RECHKING THE WAYPOINT THAT WAS BUILT (THE CAPT HAD BEEN FLYING TH ACFT FOR 3 YRS AND I HAD ONLY BEEN ON IT FOR 1 1/2 MONTHS), DISTR FROM THE F/A'S AT A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT AND BLINDLY TRUSTING BOTH MAN AND MACHINE TO FLY THE ACFT. AS WE WERE TURNED OVER TO THE NEXT CENTER WE WERE CLRED ON DOWN TO 15000' (THIS WAS ZDC). ON THE GND WE CALLED SUPVR OF NY ARTCC AT THE TIME, AND HE SAID ON CONFLICT OCCURRED. ALSO I HAVE HAD NO FORMAL TRNING ON BUILDING RESTRICTIONS IN THE COMPUTER FROM MY COMPANY.

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.