A-320 misses crossing altitude restr on descent.

Attributes
ACN	274483
Time
Date	199406
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 23000 msl bound upper : 25800
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob tower : cid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10600 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	274483
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 controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

IFR mke to dtw. Center cleared us direct polar, polar 1 arrival into dtw, to cross 60 mi west of polar at FL230. Captain was PF and was trying to enter crossing restr into mcdu. After 2 unsuccessful attempts he started a descent leaving FL290 to FL230 using vertical speed. During this time I was using the PA to give our passenger an arrival briefing. During my PA I overheard ZOB asking what our distance to polar was. The captain stated 59 DME (and our altitude was FL258). The captain was using full speed brakes at this time to help reach FL230, but we didn't reach FL230 until approximately 52-55 DME from polar. We missed the crossing clearance by about 3000 ft but there did not seem to be any conflicts at that time. Contributing factors were the captain's fixation and attempts trying to put the crossing restr into the mcdu instead of using vertical speed or open descent. Another factor is my giving a PA to our passenger during a somewhat critical phase of flight. There is also no way to program a crossing restr into our mcdu unless it falls on a particular intersection, VOR, etc. Other than that, we must build it ourselves and in some cases (such as this one) it would not accept it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A-320 MISSES XING ALT RESTR ON DSCNT.

Narrative: IFR MKE TO DTW. CTR CLRED US DIRECT POLAR, POLAR 1 ARR INTO DTW, TO CROSS 60 MI W OF POLAR AT FL230. CAPT WAS PF AND WAS TRYING TO ENTER XING RESTR INTO MCDU. AFTER 2 UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS HE STARTED A DSCNT LEAVING FL290 TO FL230 USING VERT SPD. DURING THIS TIME I WAS USING THE PA TO GIVE OUR PAX AN ARR BRIEFING. DURING MY PA I OVERHEARD ZOB ASKING WHAT OUR DISTANCE TO POLAR WAS. THE CAPT STATED 59 DME (AND OUR ALT WAS FL258). THE CAPT WAS USING FULL SPD BRAKES AT THIS TIME TO HELP REACH FL230, BUT WE DIDN'T REACH FL230 UNTIL APPROX 52-55 DME FROM POLAR. WE MISSED THE XING CLRNC BY ABOUT 3000 FT BUT THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ANY CONFLICTS AT THAT TIME. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE CAPT'S FIXATION AND ATTEMPTS TRYING TO PUT THE XING RESTR INTO THE MCDU INSTEAD OF USING VERT SPD OR OPEN DSCNT. ANOTHER FACTOR IS MY GIVING A PA TO OUR PAX DURING A SOMEWHAT CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. THERE IS ALSO NO WAY TO PROGRAM A XING RESTR INTO OUR MCDU UNLESS IT FALLS ON A PARTICULAR INTXN, VOR, ETC. OTHER THAN THAT, WE MUST BUILD IT OURSELVES AND IN SOME CASES (SUCH AS THIS ONE) IT WOULD NOT ACCEPT IT.

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.