Altitude deviation altitude undershot crossing restriction not met.

Attributes
ACN	201651
Time
Date	199202
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : etg
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 40000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 875
ASRS Report	201651
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight dtw-lga: cle center cleared us from 410 to cross etg at or below 370 to maintain 330. Captain leg to fly my leg to program FMC. We were west of etg on J-146. When center issued clearance and while I programmed the FMC, captain was lecturing on how to really fly the aircraft to save gas. I repeated the clearance to him and noted the FMC had calculated a top of descent point. The captain was flying with the autoplt in automatic hold and speed intervene. This is fine, however, PF must remember to descend at the appropriate time. The captain was so involved with his lecture, and I distracted by this lecture, we missed the top of descent point far enough to only be able to cross etg at 40000 descending. A 3000 ft error. I advised cle center that we are doing our best to meet the crossing altitude. There was no TA. Captain did tell me that he does not like this automatic cockpit stuff. Perhaps pilots who are that uncomfortable with new generation aircraft should stay with steam gauges, or train more to build the confidence in the FMC and autoplt flight director system to act as a third pilot in these aircraft. And the rest of us cannot allow ourselves to become so distracted by conversation that we miss crossing restrictions, headings, speed limits etc.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT UNDERSHOT XING RESTRICTION NOT MET.

Narrative: FLT DTW-LGA: CLE CTR CLRED US FROM 410 TO CROSS ETG AT OR BELOW 370 TO MAINTAIN 330. CAPT LEG TO FLY MY LEG TO PROGRAM FMC. WE WERE W OF ETG ON J-146. WHEN CTR ISSUED CLRNC AND WHILE I PROGRAMMED THE FMC, CAPT WAS LECTURING ON HOW TO REALLY FLY THE ACFT TO SAVE GAS. I REPEATED THE CLRNC TO HIM AND NOTED THE FMC HAD CALCULATED A TOP OF DSCNT POINT. THE CAPT WAS FLYING WITH THE AUTOPLT IN AUTO HOLD AND SPD INTERVENE. THIS IS FINE, HOWEVER, PF MUST REMEMBER TO DSND AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. THE CAPT WAS SO INVOLVED WITH HIS LECTURE, AND I DISTRACTED BY THIS LECTURE, WE MISSED THE TOP OF DSCNT POINT FAR ENOUGH TO ONLY BE ABLE TO CROSS ETG AT 40000 DSNDING. A 3000 FT ERROR. I ADVISED CLE CTR THAT WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO MEET THE XING ALT. THERE WAS NO TA. CAPT DID TELL ME THAT HE DOES NOT LIKE THIS AUTOMATIC COCKPIT STUFF. PERHAPS PLTS WHO ARE THAT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH NEW GENERATION ACFT SHOULD STAY WITH STEAM GAUGES, OR TRAIN MORE TO BUILD THE CONFIDENCE IN THE FMC AND AUTOPLT FLT DIRECTOR SYS TO ACT AS A THIRD PLT IN THESE ACFT. AND THE REST OF US CANNOT ALLOW OURSELVES TO BECOME SO DISTRACTED BY CONVERSATION THAT WE MISS XING RESTRICTIONS, HDGS, SPD LIMITS ETC.

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.