Crossing restr not met.

Attributes
ACN	294970
Time
Date	199501
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	294970
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On a flight from bwi to bos we were given a clearance to cross 40 south of raalf at 24000 ft. The first officer programmed the FMC and I observed him enter the data correctly. After he had executed the entry, he changed a minor entry and I was not monitoring. About 25 mi south of raalf. ATC asked why we had not begun our descent. We immediately started our descent. Evidently, when the first officer reentered the data he erased the waypoint he had built to identify 40S raalf. We should have caught this problem but were not monitoring the flight path as we should have been. I believe one of the factors is our dependence on automation and not monitoring raw data, or just rechking entries into the FMC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: XING RESTR NOT MET.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM BWI TO BOS WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS 40 S OF RAALF AT 24000 FT. THE FO PROGRAMMED THE FMC AND I OBSERVED HIM ENTER THE DATA CORRECTLY. AFTER HE HAD EXECUTED THE ENTRY, HE CHANGED A MINOR ENTRY AND I WAS NOT MONITORING. ABOUT 25 MI S OF RAALF. ATC ASKED WHY WE HAD NOT BEGUN OUR DSCNT. WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED OUR DSCNT. EVIDENTLY, WHEN THE FO REENTERED THE DATA HE ERASED THE WAYPOINT HE HAD BUILT TO IDENT 40S RAALF. WE SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS PROB BUT WERE NOT MONITORING THE FLT PATH AS WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I BELIEVE ONE OF THE FACTORS IS OUR DEPENDENCE ON AUTOMATION AND NOT MONITORING RAW DATA, OR JUST RECHKING ENTRIES INTO THE FMC.

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.