Narrative:

As copilot, I briefed captain of procedure before reaching bsr. Captain is from iraq and has slight-moderate communication (english) comprehension problems. After briefing, I asked captain if he understood all altitude/speed requirements. He responded with yes. After crossing skunk intersection at 10000', captain proceeded to descend to 6000'. The chart was clipped on captain's yoke, so I glanced across to verify the 6000' crossing altitude at boldr after selecting boldr intersection in our long range navigation. At first glance, it appeared 6000' was the proper crossing altitude, from a x-cockpit look. Bay approach asked if we were aware of the 10000' crossing altitude at boldr intersection. Captain responded that he was not. At this time bay approach told us to continue our descent to 6000'. After landing at sfo, I looked at the chart (bsr.bsrs profile descent) with the captain for a debriefing. (I have enclosed a chart for your viewing.) both the captain and I saw 'descend and maintain 6000' at boldr,' and mistook it as a crossing altitude for boldr. This is a very busy procedure wit high speed requirements. I believe the chart should be changed as indicated by my notes so as to minimize confusion. There is no reason to have the 'descend and maintain 6000'' box at boldr intersection. Since bay cleared us down to 6000' after they asked if we knew of the 10000' crossing at boldr, I must assume we were not the first to be confused by the chart layout. I believe in my initial briefing to the captain, I instructed him to cross boldr at 10000' and 250 KTS, but when things got busy in the cockpit and the chart was back at captain's yoke clip, I did not challenge his descent to 6000' after skunk.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER CITES AERO CHART PUBLICATION DEFICIENCY AS CAUSE FOR CROSSING RESTRICTION NOT BEING MADE IN AN ALT DEVIATION ALT EXCURSION EVENT.

Narrative: AS COPLT, I BRIEFED CAPT OF PROC BEFORE REACHING BSR. CAPT IS FROM IRAQ AND HAS SLIGHT-MODERATE COM (ENGLISH) COMPREHENSION PROBS. AFTER BRIEFING, I ASKED CAPT IF HE UNDERSTOOD ALL ALT/SPD REQUIREMENTS. HE RESPONDED WITH YES. AFTER XING SKUNK INTXN AT 10000', CAPT PROCEEDED TO DSND TO 6000'. THE CHART WAS CLIPPED ON CAPT'S YOKE, SO I GLANCED ACROSS TO VERIFY THE 6000' XING ALT AT BOLDR AFTER SELECTING BOLDR INTXN IN OUR LONG RANGE NAV. AT FIRST GLANCE, IT APPEARED 6000' WAS THE PROPER XING ALT, FROM A X-COCKPIT LOOK. BAY APCH ASKED IF WE WERE AWARE OF THE 10000' XING ALT AT BOLDR INTXN. CAPT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS NOT. AT THIS TIME BAY APCH TOLD US TO CONTINUE OUR DSNT TO 6000'. AFTER LNDG AT SFO, I LOOKED AT THE CHART (BSR.BSRS PROFILE DSNT) WITH THE CAPT FOR A DEBRIEFING. (I HAVE ENCLOSED A CHART FOR YOUR VIEWING.) BOTH THE CAPT AND I SAW 'DSND AND MAINTAIN 6000' AT BOLDR,' AND MISTOOK IT AS A XING ALT FOR BOLDR. THIS IS A VERY BUSY PROC WIT HIGH SPD REQUIREMENTS. I BELIEVE THE CHART SHOULD BE CHANGED AS INDICATED BY MY NOTES SO AS TO MINIMIZE CONFUSION. THERE IS NO REASON TO HAVE THE 'DSND AND MAINTAIN 6000'' BOX AT BOLDR INTXN. SINCE BAY CLRED US DOWN TO 6000' AFTER THEY ASKED IF WE KNEW OF THE 10000' XING AT BOLDR, I MUST ASSUME WE WERE NOT THE FIRST TO BE CONFUSED BY THE CHART LAYOUT. I BELIEVE IN MY INITIAL BRIEFING TO THE CAPT, I INSTRUCTED HIM TO CROSS BOLDR AT 10000' AND 250 KTS, BUT WHEN THINGS GOT BUSY IN THE COCKPIT AND THE CHART WAS BACK AT CAPT'S YOKE CLIP, I DID NOT CHALLENGE HIS DSNT TO 6000' AFTER SKUNK.

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.