Narrative:

Descending on the ogden 5 arrival, cleared to cross cartr at 16000 ft. We had slowed for turbulence. There was confusion over the crossing altitude and we asked ZLC to confirm because we thought it was FL190. ZLC confirmed 16000 ft. The altitude reminder was rechked at 16000 ft. There was glare in the cockpit on the FMS CRT but I thought it read 16000 ft at cartr as well. We were making an FMS descent on VNAV, LNAV, when the center handed us to approach and asked if we intended to make the cartr crossing restr. We were high so I manually and rapidly descended and crossed cartr approximately 1000 ft high. There was no other traffic and we were cleared straight in to intercept the slc runway 16 localizer. The approach and landing were uneventful. Chain of events: it is possible I had 19000 ft in the FMS and 16000 ft in the altitude reminder, but due to glare, both the first officer and I failed to catch the discrepancy. I did note that I was never above the path descent programmed by the FMS. We were also busy with the descent checklist at this time. We missed xchking the raw data on the first officer's VOR DME against the descent the FMS was flying. Supplemental information from acn 299474: still at FL190 and 20 DME, approach then assigned us 12000 ft. The supervisor was called when we got on the ground to see if there might have been a conflict. Don't rely on the 'magic' equipment, eg, FMS to get things done. If we were doing an autoplt only descent, I don't think this would have happened. We were lulled into complacency thinking the magic would do it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISSES XING ALT BY 1000 FT DURING DSCNT USING VNAV WITH FMC PROGRAMMED FOR THE DSCNT.

Narrative: DSNDING ON THE OGDEN 5 ARR, CLRED TO CROSS CARTR AT 16000 FT. WE HAD SLOWED FOR TURB. THERE WAS CONFUSION OVER THE XING ALT AND WE ASKED ZLC TO CONFIRM BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WAS FL190. ZLC CONFIRMED 16000 FT. THE ALT REMINDER WAS RECHKED AT 16000 FT. THERE WAS GLARE IN THE COCKPIT ON THE FMS CRT BUT I THOUGHT IT READ 16000 FT AT CARTR AS WELL. WE WERE MAKING AN FMS DSCNT ON VNAV, LNAV, WHEN THE CTR HANDED US TO APCH AND ASKED IF WE INTENDED TO MAKE THE CARTR XING RESTR. WE WERE HIGH SO I MANUALLY AND RAPIDLY DSNDED AND CROSSED CARTR APPROX 1000 FT HIGH. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC AND WE WERE CLRED STRAIGHT IN TO INTERCEPT THE SLC RWY 16 LOC. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. CHAIN OF EVENTS: IT IS POSSIBLE I HAD 19000 FT IN THE FMS AND 16000 FT IN THE ALT REMINDER, BUT DUE TO GLARE, BOTH THE FO AND I FAILED TO CATCH THE DISCREPANCY. I DID NOTE THAT I WAS NEVER ABOVE THE PATH DSCNT PROGRAMMED BY THE FMS. WE WERE ALSO BUSY WITH THE DSCNT CHKLIST AT THIS TIME. WE MISSED XCHKING THE RAW DATA ON THE FO'S VOR DME AGAINST THE DSCNT THE FMS WAS FLYING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 299474: STILL AT FL190 AND 20 DME, APCH THEN ASSIGNED US 12000 FT. THE SUPVR WAS CALLED WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND TO SEE IF THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT. DON'T RELY ON THE 'MAGIC' EQUIP, EG, FMS TO GET THINGS DONE. IF WE WERE DOING AN AUTOPLT ONLY DSCNT, I DON'T THINK THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. WE WERE LULLED INTO COMPLACENCY THINKING THE MAGIC WOULD DO 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.