Flight crew misprogrammed their FMC for descent and crossing restriction.

Attributes
ACN	183488
Time
Date	199107
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	183488
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Was asked to keep speed up and given a vector toward but not directly to the VOR. Was told to cross 30 DME out at 10000 ft at 250 KTS. Programmed FMC for crossing restriction for descent guidance. Was still not cleared to fix so stayed in heading mode. At 35 mi out was asked if able to make restriction. I asked if I was cleared to the VOR. Controller gave us a vector away from fix and told us we were too high (16000 ft) for approach to accept. Our descent page data was based on an arcing course to fix. Controller forgot to clear us direct and we sat there and allowed the machine to bring us in too high. Back to basics is the answer.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISPROGRAMMED THEIR FMC FOR DSCNT AND XING RESTRICTION.

Narrative: WAS ASKED TO KEEP SPEED UP AND GIVEN A VECTOR TOWARD BUT NOT DIRECTLY TO THE VOR. WAS TOLD TO CROSS 30 DME OUT AT 10000 FT AT 250 KTS. PROGRAMMED FMC FOR XING RESTRICTION FOR DSCNT GUIDANCE. WAS STILL NOT CLRED TO FIX SO STAYED IN HDG MODE. AT 35 MI OUT WAS ASKED IF ABLE TO MAKE RESTRICTION. I ASKED IF I WAS CLRED TO THE VOR. CTLR GAVE US A VECTOR AWAY FROM FIX AND TOLD US WE WERE TOO HIGH (16000 FT) FOR APCH TO ACCEPT. OUR DSCNT PAGE DATA WAS BASED ON AN ARCING COURSE TO FIX. CTLR FORGOT TO CLR US DIRECT AND WE SAT THERE AND ALLOWED THE MACHINE TO BRING US IN TOO HIGH. BACK TO BASICS IS THE ANSWER.

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.