Narrative:

In the descent from the west into iad on the jasen 1 STAR we encountered heavy cumulus type clouds with precipitation and moderate turbulence descending through FL290. Engine anti-ice was activated and #4 engine anti-ice valve did not open. We were fairly fast and it got very turbulence. The aircraft was on autoplt and I was controling track and pitch manually. We were descending to FL270 when the so advised me the #4 eai valve had not opened. I advanced power on #4 to try to open it. This did not work I was not using 'altitude select' (capture) mode because they recently reprogrammed the computers and they pitched down sharply on capture -- regardless of descent rate. At FL27.8 I started rolling in pitch up commands to the autoplt and it was very slow in changing pitch. The aircraft overshot the target altitude of FL270 and went down to FL268. The TCASII system gave an advisory to climb as there was an aircraft at FL260. We leveled at FL270. I should not have let the engine anti-ice valve distract me in this critical phase of flight. The so was busy talking to company and the first officer was talking to center. Too much going on at 1 time. The first officer did not make his '1000 ft to level off' call, because he was on the radio, and we all were distracted setting minimum N1 RPM for engine anti-ice.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT STATED THAT DISTR FROM INOP EQUIP AND FLC RADIO RESPONSIBILITIES IN CRITICAL DSCNT PHASE, CONTRIBUTED TO ALT OVERSHOOT.

Narrative: IN THE DSCNT FROM THE W INTO IAD ON THE JASEN 1 STAR WE ENCOUNTERED HVY CUMULUS TYPE CLOUDS WITH PRECIPITATION AND MODERATE TURB DSNDING THROUGH FL290. ENG ANTI-ICE WAS ACTIVATED AND #4 ENG ANTI-ICE VALVE DID NOT OPEN. WE WERE FAIRLY FAST AND IT GOT VERY TURB. THE ACFT WAS ON AUTOPLT AND I WAS CTLING TRACK AND PITCH MANUALLY. WE WERE DSNDING TO FL270 WHEN THE SO ADVISED ME THE #4 EAI VALVE HAD NOT OPENED. I ADVANCED PWR ON #4 TO TRY TO OPEN IT. THIS DID NOT WORK I WAS NOT USING 'ALT SELECT' (CAPTURE) MODE BECAUSE THEY RECENTLY REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTERS AND THEY PITCHED DOWN SHARPLY ON CAPTURE -- REGARDLESS OF DSCNT RATE. AT FL27.8 I STARTED ROLLING IN PITCH UP COMMANDS TO THE AUTOPLT AND IT WAS VERY SLOW IN CHANGING PITCH. THE ACFT OVERSHOT THE TARGET ALT OF FL270 AND WENT DOWN TO FL268. THE TCASII SYS GAVE AN ADVISORY TO CLB AS THERE WAS AN ACFT AT FL260. WE LEVELED AT FL270. I SHOULD NOT HAVE LET THE ENG ANTI-ICE VALVE DISTRACT ME IN THIS CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. THE SO WAS BUSY TALKING TO COMPANY AND THE FO WAS TALKING TO CTR. TOO MUCH GOING ON AT 1 TIME. THE FO DID NOT MAKE HIS '1000 FT TO LEVEL OFF' CALL, BECAUSE HE WAS ON THE RADIO, AND WE ALL WERE DISTRACTED SETTING MINIMUM N1 RPM FOR ENG ANTI-ICE.

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.