Narrative:

While in cruise at FL330, we received a clearance from edmonton center to cross a point 100 NM northeast of fort mcmurray at FL350. The first officer made it a waypoint in the FMC. We were about 100 NM southwest of fort mcmurray on HL517. I then directed the first officer to make another waypoint 20 NM before the 100 NM waypoint where I told him I planned to climb to FL350 to clear crossing traffic. Because we had to climb about 300 NM early and we had only 2300 ft extra fuel planned at our redispatch point, the first officer and I began discussing what detrimental effect this was going to have on our fuel burn. Flight was from san francisco to paris with a flight time of 10:20 hours. Unfortunately, I left my map on the largest scale (320 mi) and without staring at it, I did not notice how close we were. When I did notice, we were between the 80 NM and 100 NM fix. I immediately started climbing. The first officer slowed the airspeed to best angle of climb. As we climbed and leveled off, we did not see the other aircraft on our TCASII. Several mins after level off we saw him on TCASII at FL330 and 35 NM away. I should have kept making my map scale smaller to keep better track of the climb point. Also in the future, as soon as the FMC computes the time to the waypoint, I will set my stop watch alarm to sound an aural alarm. Also, we probably should not have been computing performance when we still had a crossing altitude to make. Supplemental information from acn 223569: my thoughts then, along with the captain, was that the clearance was given far enough in advance that the possibility existed that we might have our attention diverted and forget this. Other cockpit tasks came up and sure enough, the captain noticed we needed to initiate the climb at approximately the point (100 mi) where we should be level at 350. Upon crossing stoney rapids our controller called for a position report. We asked if we were in 'radar contact.' we were told no. This surprised us as we'd never been told radar service was terminated and did not know when it was terminated. I feel we should have been notified that radar was terminated as a courtesy to remind us we were even more on our own.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WDB GLASS COCKPIT CREW FAILED TO CLB IN TIME TO MAKE THEIR ALT XING RESTRICTION.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE AT FL330, WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM EDMONTON CTR TO CROSS A POINT 100 NM NE OF FORT MCMURRAY AT FL350. THE FO MADE IT A WAYPOINT IN THE FMC. WE WERE ABOUT 100 NM SW OF FORT MCMURRAY ON HL517. I THEN DIRECTED THE FO TO MAKE ANOTHER WAYPOINT 20 NM BEFORE THE 100 NM WAYPOINT WHERE I TOLD HIM I PLANNED TO CLB TO FL350 TO CLR XING TFC. BECAUSE WE HAD TO CLB ABOUT 300 NM EARLY AND WE HAD ONLY 2300 FT EXTRA FUEL PLANNED AT OUR REDISPATCH POINT, THE FO AND I BEGAN DISCUSSING WHAT DETRIMENTAL EFFECT THIS WAS GOING TO HAVE ON OUR FUEL BURN. FLT WAS FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO PARIS WITH A FLT TIME OF 10:20 HRS. UNFORTUNATELY, I LEFT MY MAP ON THE LARGEST SCALE (320 MI) AND WITHOUT STARING AT IT, I DID NOT NOTICE HOW CLOSE WE WERE. WHEN I DID NOTICE, WE WERE BTWN THE 80 NM AND 100 NM FIX. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED CLBING. THE FO SLOWED THE AIRSPD TO BEST ANGLE OF CLB. AS WE CLBED AND LEVELED OFF, WE DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT ON OUR TCASII. SEVERAL MINS AFTER LEVEL OFF WE SAW HIM ON TCASII AT FL330 AND 35 NM AWAY. I SHOULD HAVE KEPT MAKING MY MAP SCALE SMALLER TO KEEP BETTER TRACK OF THE CLB POINT. ALSO IN THE FUTURE, AS SOON AS THE FMC COMPUTES THE TIME TO THE WAYPOINT, I WILL SET MY STOP WATCH ALARM TO SOUND AN AURAL ALARM. ALSO, WE PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN COMPUTING PERFORMANCE WHEN WE STILL HAD A XING ALT TO MAKE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 223569: MY THOUGHTS THEN, ALONG WITH THE CAPT, WAS THAT THE CLRNC WAS GIVEN FAR ENOUGH IN ADVANCE THAT THE POSSIBILITY EXISTED THAT WE MIGHT HAVE OUR ATTN DIVERTED AND FORGET THIS. OTHER COCKPIT TASKS CAME UP AND SURE ENOUGH, THE CAPT NOTICED WE NEEDED TO INITIATE THE CLB AT APPROX THE POINT (100 MI) WHERE WE SHOULD BE LEVEL AT 350. UPON XING STONEY RAPIDS OUR CTLR CALLED FOR A POS RPT. WE ASKED IF WE WERE IN 'RADAR CONTACT.' WE WERE TOLD NO. THIS SURPRISED US AS WE'D NEVER BEEN TOLD RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED AND DID NOT KNOW WHEN IT WAS TERMINATED. I FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT RADAR WAS TERMINATED AS A COURTESY TO REMIND US WE WERE EVEN MORE ON OUR OWN.

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.