ATC intervened 5 mi north of a crossing restr, when it was apparent that the restr would not be met....

Attributes
ACN	300000
Time
Date	199503
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dcu airport : hsv
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zme
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	300000
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	299821
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier flight from bna-hsv, on climb out to FL200. ZME amended flight plan route to direct DCU, direct hsv, cross 30 mi north of DCU at 11000 ft. DCU not in flight plan. First officer was monitoring the other radio for hsv ATIS, and getting changeover information for hsv landing. Captain copied center instructions, and began entering new route and crossing restrs into FMS, DCU, and 30 north of DCU, at 11000 ft. First officer returned from other radio, and captain instructed him to ask for lower altitude. Crew noted they were unable to make crossing altitude. Center repeated crossing altitude restr and crew advised center unable to make altitude restr. ZME gave vectors for descent to 11000 ft and asked if crew understood instructions. Position at time of vector was 35 mi north of DCU, descending through 16000 ft. WX VMC, and no other aircraft in area. Factors contributing to problem: 1) amended flight plan with crossing restr. By the time new flight plan was copied, evaluated and entered into FMS, the crossing restr could not be made. 2) communication. PNF (first officer) monitoring other radio did not copy instructions and was unable to assist captain in new flight plan entry. Captain did not communication properly with first officer upon his return to primary radio. Instruction to ask for lower altitude was not specific - captain should have stated 'tell center we can't make the 11000 ft restr,' or told center himself. Crew coordination. Short flight necessity to monitor radios individually during critical flight phases interrupted normal crew coordination flow. Amended route of flight combined with an altitude crossing restr with 1 pilot monitoring, flying, entering new data resulted in flying past the point where a normal descent should have been started. Supplemental information from acn 299821: first officer returned from other radio during climb through FL180. Captain indicated intent to begin descent. First officer requested descent to ZME repeated crossing altitude restr and first officer advised ATC.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC INTERVENED 5 MI N OF A XING RESTR, WHEN IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE RESTR WOULD NOT BE MET. THE FLC CITED CREW COORD IN A RUSHED COCKPIT, ON A SHORT FLT, AS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.

Narrative: ACR FLT FROM BNA-HSV, ON CLB OUT TO FL200. ZME AMENDED FLT PLAN RTE TO DIRECT DCU, DIRECT HSV, CROSS 30 MI N OF DCU AT 11000 FT. DCU NOT IN FLT PLAN. FO WAS MONITORING THE OTHER RADIO FOR HSV ATIS, AND GETTING CHANGEOVER INFO FOR HSV LNDG. CAPT COPIED CTR INSTRUCTIONS, AND BEGAN ENTERING NEW RTE AND XING RESTRS INTO FMS, DCU, AND 30 N OF DCU, AT 11000 FT. FO RETURNED FROM OTHER RADIO, AND CAPT INSTRUCTED HIM TO ASK FOR LOWER ALT. CREW NOTED THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE XING ALT. CTR REPEATED XING ALT RESTR AND CREW ADVISED CTR UNABLE TO MAKE ALT RESTR. ZME GAVE VECTORS FOR DSCNT TO 11000 FT AND ASKED IF CREW UNDERSTOOD INSTRUCTIONS. POS AT TIME OF VECTOR WAS 35 MI N OF DCU, DSNDING THROUGH 16000 FT. WX VMC, AND NO OTHER ACFT IN AREA. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO PROB: 1) AMENDED FLT PLAN WITH XING RESTR. BY THE TIME NEW FLT PLAN WAS COPIED, EVALUATED AND ENTERED INTO FMS, THE XING RESTR COULD NOT BE MADE. 2) COM. PNF (FO) MONITORING OTHER RADIO DID NOT COPY INSTRUCTIONS AND WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST CAPTAIN IN NEW FLT PLAN ENTRY. CAPT DID NOT COM PROPERLY WITH FO UPON HIS RETURN TO PRIMARY RADIO. INSTRUCTION TO ASK FOR LOWER ALT WAS NOT SPECIFIC - CAPT SHOULD HAVE STATED 'TELL CTR WE CAN'T MAKE THE 11000 FT RESTR,' OR TOLD CTR HIMSELF. CREW COORD. SHORT FLT NECESSITY TO MONITOR RADIOS INDIVIDUALLY DURING CRITICAL FLT PHASES INTERRUPTED NORMAL CREW COORD FLOW. AMENDED RTE OF FLT COMBINED WITH AN ALT XING RESTR WITH 1 PLT MONITORING, FLYING, ENTERING NEW DATA RESULTED IN FLYING PAST THE POINT WHERE A NORMAL DSCNT SHOULD HAVE BEEN STARTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 299821: FO RETURNED FROM OTHER RADIO DURING CLB THROUGH FL180. CAPT INDICATED INTENT TO BEGIN DSCNT. FO REQUESTED DSCNT TO ZME REPEATED XING ALT RESTR AND FO ADVISED ATC.

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.

ATC intervened 5 mi north of a crossing restr, when it was apparent that the restr would not be met. The flight crew cited crew coordination in a rushed cockpit, on a short flight, as contributing factors.