Narrative:

Departing ord airport on a scheduled passenger flight, we failed to meet the crossing restr on the O'hare 9 departure. We were supposed to cross 8 DME at or above 4000 ft. (We crossed at 3400 ft MSL.) departure control brought the incident to our attention. The captain was the PF of the flight. I am currently an 8 yr captain with my airline but, on the night of the incident, I was assigned to duty as the first officer. I have not flown from the right seat for 2 1/2 yrs. The PIC for this flight was an IOE captain. We were both new to the operations at ord. Departure asked if we knew of the crossing restr. The captain replied that he did not know of it (which he didn't). I did know about it. Because I was sitting in the right seat and totally lost in the cockpit, I failed to maintain situational awareness. The FAA and our airline say that it is safe and legal to put a captain in the right seat as a first officer. Myself, along with rest of our pilot group, maintain that although it may be legal, it is far from safe to allow this practice. Our right seat training consists of 1 normal takeoff and 1 normal visual landing once per yr in a flight simulator. How does this qualify us in any way, shape or form to be in the right seat during an abnormal or emergency situation or even an ILS approach. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting captain was flying first officer for a regional air carrier that is 'wintering' in ord. He had not flown in the right seat for several yrs and had never flown with the other captain. Both crewmen were unfamiliar with the ord operation. They just plain flat out missed the crossing restr. The reporter, who has done most of his air carrier flying in the south and southwest, was amazed and pleased at the way that ord can move traffic compared to other airports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT FAILED TO MAKE ITS XING RESTR ON CLBOUT.

Narrative: DEPARTING ORD ARPT ON A SCHEDULED PAX FLT, WE FAILED TO MEET THE XING RESTR ON THE O'HARE 9 DEP. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO CROSS 8 DME AT OR ABOVE 4000 FT. (WE CROSSED AT 3400 FT MSL.) DEP CTL BROUGHT THE INCIDENT TO OUR ATTN. THE CAPT WAS THE PF OF THE FLT. I AM CURRENTLY AN 8 YR CAPT WITH MY AIRLINE BUT, ON THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT, I WAS ASSIGNED TO DUTY AS THE FO. I HAVE NOT FLOWN FROM THE R SEAT FOR 2 1/2 YRS. THE PIC FOR THIS FLT WAS AN IOE CAPT. WE WERE BOTH NEW TO THE OPS AT ORD. DEP ASKED IF WE KNEW OF THE XING RESTR. THE CAPT REPLIED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW OF IT (WHICH HE DIDN'T). I DID KNOW ABOUT IT. BECAUSE I WAS SITTING IN THE R SEAT AND TOTALLY LOST IN THE COCKPIT, I FAILED TO MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. THE FAA AND OUR AIRLINE SAY THAT IT IS SAFE AND LEGAL TO PUT A CAPT IN THE R SEAT AS A FO. MYSELF, ALONG WITH REST OF OUR PLT GROUP, MAINTAIN THAT ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE LEGAL, IT IS FAR FROM SAFE TO ALLOW THIS PRACTICE. OUR R SEAT TRAINING CONSISTS OF 1 NORMAL TKOF AND 1 NORMAL VISUAL LNDG ONCE PER YR IN A FLT SIMULATOR. HOW DOES THIS QUALIFY US IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM TO BE IN THE R SEAT DURING AN ABNORMAL OR EMER SIT OR EVEN AN ILS APCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING CAPT WAS FLYING FO FOR A REGIONAL ACR THAT IS 'WINTERING' IN ORD. HE HAD NOT FLOWN IN THE R SEAT FOR SEVERAL YRS AND HAD NEVER FLOWN WITH THE OTHER CAPT. BOTH CREWMEN WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ORD OP. THEY JUST PLAIN FLAT OUT MISSED THE XING RESTR. THE RPTR, WHO HAS DONE MOST OF HIS ACR FLYING IN THE S AND SW, WAS AMAZED AND PLEASED AT THE WAY THAT ORD CAN MOVE TFC COMPARED TO OTHER ARPTS.

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.