Narrative:

After being cleared direct to bucko intersection (for bucko dca arrival), then cleared to cross 25 northwest of esl VOR at FL290 (we were at FL350), I entered esl into FMGC progress page (to get bearing and distance readout display for esl). I advised first officer of this information and he acknowledged it. We were approximately 60 mi from crossing restr at that time. First officer then attempted to create a waypoint in FMGS to show the 25 northwest point. He got the format and distance fouled up and created a point behind us. The flight plan then showed a right teardrop type reversal to the first officer created point. As he had autoplt engaged, aircraft began to roll right (I pulled heading knob to keep aircraft on present heading). ATC then called and said to proceed direct to esl, without restating or verifying a crossing restr. Since we were now going direct to esl, we would not fly over the previous 25 northwest of esl on the arrival point. I am not sure if ATC wanted us to cross 25 northwest of esl on the now direct course at FL290 or not. We assumed that he did. I advised first officer for third time of distance/bearing to esl and turned on seat belt sign for descent. He still was attempting to make a crossing waypoint. I then told him he was 17 mi from the 25 northwest point (42 northwest of esl) and that he better start down now. He did, but slowly and then at ever increasing rate (maximum of 6600 FPM). At FMGS readout of 26 mi northwest of esl, ATC asked us to state our altitude, with an obvious tone of displeasure in his voice -- enough that we both noticed it. Altitude was 30.4 or 30.6 and I stated it. I am sure we were below FL300. By the new 25 northwest of esl but were definitely not there at FL290. First officer had lots of time in type (although this is first time I flew with him). There were several areas of concern here: 1) no restate of desire to still cross 25 NM of esl at FL290. (Our only assumption of ATC's desire for this was the tone of voice in asking for altitude verification approaching 25 northwest). Clear communication would eliminate the mystery. 2) lack of the ability to create a waypoint on the flight plan track by a simple esl - 25 type format leads to situation where the format needed is very complex and prone to error on entry. Also, the aircraft displays bearings/track information when a fix is entered into the FMGC, but there is no track format to create a new waypoint, which requires the old add 200, subtract 20 degrees, mental gymnastics (also prone to error). 3) aircraft level off (for climb or descent) indicator is only visible on the flight plan track, so if changes are occurring there will be no level off indicator, or if flying using a selected heading which would be required to note reverse course and head for entered in error waypoint behind us. 4) I should not be as polite about slow to start down/errors in entry. 5) sometimes you need to ignore the magic and get the job done (people have made crossing restrs for yrs without the aid or distraction of FMGC's. 6) people tend to give the benefit of the doubt to crew members that are fairly experienced in a specific type. Yet, it is the experienced ones that can finally get you into a position that is hard to get out of.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT MISSES XING RESTR ON DSCNT.

Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED DIRECT TO BUCKO INTXN (FOR BUCKO DCA ARR), THEN CLRED TO CROSS 25 NW OF ESL VOR AT FL290 (WE WERE AT FL350), I ENTERED ESL INTO FMGC PROGRESS PAGE (TO GET BEARING AND DISTANCE READOUT DISPLAY FOR ESL). I ADVISED FO OF THIS INFO AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED IT. WE WERE APPROX 60 MI FROM XING RESTR AT THAT TIME. FO THEN ATTEMPTED TO CREATE A WAYPOINT IN FMGS TO SHOW THE 25 NW POINT. HE GOT THE FORMAT AND DISTANCE FOULED UP AND CREATED A POINT BEHIND US. THE FLT PLAN THEN SHOWED A R TEARDROP TYPE REVERSAL TO THE FO CREATED POINT. AS HE HAD AUTOPLT ENGAGED, ACFT BEGAN TO ROLL R (I PULLED HDG KNOB TO KEEP ACFT ON PRESENT HDG). ATC THEN CALLED AND SAID TO PROCEED DIRECT TO ESL, WITHOUT RESTATING OR VERIFYING A XING RESTR. SINCE WE WERE NOW GOING DIRECT TO ESL, WE WOULD NOT FLY OVER THE PREVIOUS 25 NW OF ESL ON THE ARR POINT. I AM NOT SURE IF ATC WANTED US TO CROSS 25 NW OF ESL ON THE NOW DIRECT COURSE AT FL290 OR NOT. WE ASSUMED THAT HE DID. I ADVISED FO FOR THIRD TIME OF DISTANCE/BEARING TO ESL AND TURNED ON SEAT BELT SIGN FOR DSCNT. HE STILL WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A XING WAYPOINT. I THEN TOLD HIM HE WAS 17 MI FROM THE 25 NW POINT (42 NW OF ESL) AND THAT HE BETTER START DOWN NOW. HE DID, BUT SLOWLY AND THEN AT EVER INCREASING RATE (MAX OF 6600 FPM). AT FMGS READOUT OF 26 MI NW OF ESL, ATC ASKED US TO STATE OUR ALT, WITH AN OBVIOUS TONE OF DISPLEASURE IN HIS VOICE -- ENOUGH THAT WE BOTH NOTICED IT. ALT WAS 30.4 OR 30.6 AND I STATED IT. I AM SURE WE WERE BELOW FL300. BY THE NEW 25 NW OF ESL BUT WERE DEFINITELY NOT THERE AT FL290. FO HAD LOTS OF TIME IN TYPE (ALTHOUGH THIS IS FIRST TIME I FLEW WITH HIM). THERE WERE SEVERAL AREAS OF CONCERN HERE: 1) NO RESTATE OF DESIRE TO STILL CROSS 25 NM OF ESL AT FL290. (OUR ONLY ASSUMPTION OF ATC'S DESIRE FOR THIS WAS THE TONE OF VOICE IN ASKING FOR ALT VERIFICATION APCHING 25 NW). CLR COM WOULD ELIMINATE THE MYSTERY. 2) LACK OF THE ABILITY TO CREATE A WAYPOINT ON THE FLT PLAN TRACK BY A SIMPLE ESL - 25 TYPE FORMAT LEADS TO SIT WHERE THE FORMAT NEEDED IS VERY COMPLEX AND PRONE TO ERROR ON ENTRY. ALSO, THE ACFT DISPLAYS BEARINGS/TRACK INFO WHEN A FIX IS ENTERED INTO THE FMGC, BUT THERE IS NO TRACK FORMAT TO CREATE A NEW WAYPOINT, WHICH REQUIRES THE OLD ADD 200, SUBTRACT 20 DEGS, MENTAL GYMNASTICS (ALSO PRONE TO ERROR). 3) ACFT LEVEL OFF (FOR CLB OR DSCNT) INDICATOR IS ONLY VISIBLE ON THE FLT PLAN TRACK, SO IF CHANGES ARE OCCURRING THERE WILL BE NO LEVEL OFF INDICATOR, OR IF FLYING USING A SELECTED HDG WHICH WOULD BE REQUIRED TO NOTE REVERSE COURSE AND HEAD FOR ENTERED IN ERROR WAYPOINT BEHIND US. 4) I SHOULD NOT BE AS POLITE ABOUT SLOW TO START DOWN/ERRORS IN ENTRY. 5) SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO IGNORE THE MAGIC AND GET THE JOB DONE (PEOPLE HAVE MADE XING RESTRS FOR YRS WITHOUT THE AID OR DISTR OF FMGC'S. 6) PEOPLE TEND TO GIVE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT TO CREW MEMBERS THAT ARE FAIRLY EXPERIENCED IN A SPECIFIC TYPE. YET, IT IS THE EXPERIENCED ONES THAT CAN FINALLY GET YOU INTO A POS THAT IS HARD TO GET OUT OF.

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.