Narrative:

Check airman in right seat of glass cockpit aircraft, instructing on captain's IOE, was trying to maximize instruction time in all phases of flight. During later stages of descent, discussing descent in VNAV and other modes, ATC issued a clearance to cross seago waypoint at 11000 ft and 250 KTS. Shortly thereafter, we received an off course vector and, after another brief period, a vector to intercept the arrival route. Check airman, as PF, did not arm LNAV for the intercept as it was close to 90 degree, which would result in a rapid course capture and a more radical turn than one might wish. The plan was to turn to intercept using heading mode and capture LNAV when closer to track. Further discussion about the aircraft distracted both pilots and they flew through the arrival route. The vectors had also interrupted the descent profile. The ATC controller called to ask whether we intended to intercept and with this 'wake up' call we did reverse and intercept, abeam seago descending through 13000 ft. Instructing in the niceties of the aircraft had taken our attention from the business of flying the clearance. After landing on the west side of dfw, we were cleared to cross the inbound parallel runway, cross a bridge and contact ground control on frequency XXXX. We crossed the runway, crossed the bridge, but check airman got busy again and didn't call ground control until about half way to a distant gate. Fortunately, this was a low traffic period and there were no apparent conflicts. The moral is obvious: pay attention to the business at hand. The luxury of the third crew member is no longer available in recent aircraft (excepting long haul) and more diligence is required of both pilots. It is much too easy, and not uncommon, for instructors to become involved in extolling the virtues of 'gee whiz' airplanes versus 'no whiz' ones and not devote the necessary attention to precise operation.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT TRACK HDG DEV AND ALT DEV XING RESTRICTION NOT MET.

Narrative: CHK AIRMAN IN R SEAT OF GLASS COCKPIT ACFT, INSTRUCTING ON CAPT'S IOE, WAS TRYING TO MAXIMIZE INSTRUCTION TIME IN ALL PHASES OF FLT. DURING LATER STAGES OF DSCNT, DISCUSSING DSCNT IN VNAV AND OTHER MODES, ATC ISSUED A CLRNC TO CROSS SEAGO WAYPOINT AT 11000 FT AND 250 KTS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE RECEIVED AN OFF COURSE VECTOR AND, AFTER ANOTHER BRIEF PERIOD, A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE ARR RTE. CHK AIRMAN, AS PF, DID NOT ARM LNAV FOR THE INTERCEPT AS IT WAS CLOSE TO 90 DEG, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A RAPID COURSE CAPTURE AND A MORE RADICAL TURN THAN ONE MIGHT WISH. THE PLAN WAS TO TURN TO INTERCEPT USING HDG MODE AND CAPTURE LNAV WHEN CLOSER TO TRACK. FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ACFT DISTRACTED BOTH PLTS AND THEY FLEW THROUGH THE ARR RTE. THE VECTORS HAD ALSO INTERRUPTED THE DSCNT PROFILE. THE ATC CTLR CALLED TO ASK WHETHER WE INTENDED TO INTERCEPT AND WITH THIS 'WAKE UP' CALL WE DID REVERSE AND INTERCEPT, ABEAM SEAGO DSNDING THROUGH 13000 FT. INSTRUCTING IN THE NICETIES OF THE ACFT HAD TAKEN OUR ATTN FROM THE BUSINESS OF FLYING THE CLRNC. AFTER LNDG ON THE W SIDE OF DFW, WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS THE INBOUND PARALLEL RWY, CROSS A BRIDGE AND CONTACT GND CTL ON FREQ XXXX. WE CROSSED THE RWY, CROSSED THE BRIDGE, BUT CHK AIRMAN GOT BUSY AGAIN AND DIDN'T CALL GND CTL UNTIL ABOUT HALF WAY TO A DISTANT GATE. FORTUNATELY, THIS WAS A LOW TFC PERIOD AND THERE WERE NO APPARENT CONFLICTS. THE MORAL IS OBVIOUS: PAY ATTN TO THE BUSINESS AT HAND. THE LUXURY OF THE THIRD CREW MEMBER IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN RECENT ACFT (EXCEPTING LONG HAUL) AND MORE DILIGENCE IS REQUIRED OF BOTH PLTS. IT IS MUCH TOO EASY, AND NOT UNCOMMON, FOR INSTRUCTORS TO BECOME INVOLVED IN EXTOLLING THE VIRTUES OF 'GEE WHIZ' AIRPLANES VERSUS 'NO WHIZ' ONES AND NOT DEVOTE THE NECESSARY ATTN TO PRECISE OP.

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.