Narrative:

First officer and I were flying flight from clt to ewr. For reasons never communicated to us by ZDC, we were holding southwest of hpw on the 229 degree radial at FL290 with 20 NM legs. At about XY50 EST center issued a descent clearance to FL270. We were also talking to company operations through company frequency and with the passenger about the revised ETA at ewr and connection problems. I was flying using the FMC and autoplt. I selected FL270 on the altitude alerter/controller. Then put FL270 on the cruise page of the FMC, and then was distracted by a conversation over the interphone with the flight attendants. About 2 mins later ATC gave us a vector out of holding. He did not mention a traffic conflict but inquired as to why we hadn't departed FL290. I looked at the FMC and autoplt controls the FMC had kicked out of VNAV and was in the altitude hold mode with FL270 in the altitude alerter. We were still at FL290. Autoplt was normal. We didn't give enough attention to the altitude change.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT FAILED TO ENTER A DSCNT INTO THE ACFT FMS RESULTING IN A DEV FROM ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: FO AND I WERE FLYING FLT FROM CLT TO EWR. FOR REASONS NEVER COMMUNICATED TO US BY ZDC, WE WERE HOLDING SW OF HPW ON THE 229 DEG RADIAL AT FL290 WITH 20 NM LEGS. AT ABOUT XY50 EST CTR ISSUED A DSCNT CLRNC TO FL270. WE WERE ALSO TALKING TO COMPANY OPS THROUGH COMPANY FREQ AND WITH THE PAX ABOUT THE REVISED ETA AT EWR AND CONNECTION PROBS. I WAS FLYING USING THE FMC AND AUTOPLT. I SELECTED FL270 ON THE ALT ALERTER/CTLR. THEN PUT FL270 ON THE CRUISE PAGE OF THE FMC, AND THEN WAS DISTRACTED BY A CONVERSATION OVER THE INTERPHONE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER ATC GAVE US A VECTOR OUT OF HOLDING. HE DID NOT MENTION A TFC CONFLICT BUT INQUIRED AS TO WHY WE HADN'T DEPARTED FL290. I LOOKED AT THE FMC AND AUTOPLT CTLS THE FMC HAD KICKED OUT OF VNAV AND WAS IN THE ALT HOLD MODE WITH FL270 IN THE ALT ALERTER. WE WERE STILL AT FL290. AUTOPLT WAS NORMAL. WE DIDN'T GIVE ENOUGH ATTN TO THE ALT CHANGE.

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.