Altitude crossing restr not met.

Attributes
ACN	300660
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	300660
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	300559
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared direct to jfk, then, about 20 mi short of jfk, we were cleared direct to raalf intersection and given a descent clearance to cross 40 mi southwest of raalf intersection at FL240. Both of us copied the clearance, wrote it down, then, as the omega turned to take us direct to raalf intersection, both of us dropped the 40 mi southwest part of the crossing restr from our minds and set up the descent to cross raalf intersection at FL240. The ATC controller asked us, as he saw our late descent, if we had been issued a crossing restr, and we said we had been given raalf intersection at FL240. He said that he thought he had given us 40 mi southwest of raalf intersection at FL240, and then we realized that we had made the error. We do not think there was any traffic conflict (we passed jfk at XA06Z), and the controller did not seem upset. We had the time to discuss it with him, and we concluded that the crossing restr ought not to have been given as a distance from a fix to which we were proceeding direct off airways. If the clearance had been to cross the 20 DME arc of jfk at FL240 or the 40 DME arc of orw at FL240, the error would probably not have occurred. The controller agreed, and we think this might be a useful procedural change to the ATC controller's manual.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT XING RESTR NOT MET.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO JFK, THEN, ABOUT 20 MI SHORT OF JFK, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO RAALF INTXN AND GIVEN A DSCNT CLRNC TO CROSS 40 MI SW OF RAALF INTXN AT FL240. BOTH OF US COPIED THE CLRNC, WROTE IT DOWN, THEN, AS THE OMEGA TURNED TO TAKE US DIRECT TO RAALF INTXN, BOTH OF US DROPPED THE 40 MI SW PART OF THE XING RESTR FROM OUR MINDS AND SET UP THE DSCNT TO CROSS RAALF INTXN AT FL240. THE ATC CTLR ASKED US, AS HE SAW OUR LATE DSCNT, IF WE HAD BEEN ISSUED A XING RESTR, AND WE SAID WE HAD BEEN GIVEN RAALF INTXN AT FL240. HE SAID THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD GIVEN US 40 MI SW OF RAALF INTXN AT FL240, AND THEN WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD MADE THE ERROR. WE DO NOT THINK THERE WAS ANY TFC CONFLICT (WE PASSED JFK AT XA06Z), AND THE CTLR DID NOT SEEM UPSET. WE HAD THE TIME TO DISCUSS IT WITH HIM, AND WE CONCLUDED THAT THE XING RESTR OUGHT NOT TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN AS A DISTANCE FROM A FIX TO WHICH WE WERE PROCEEDING DIRECT OFF AIRWAYS. IF THE CLRNC HAD BEEN TO CROSS THE 20 DME ARC OF JFK AT FL240 OR THE 40 DME ARC OF ORW AT FL240, THE ERROR WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE OCCURRED. THE CTLR AGREED, AND WE THINK THIS MIGHT BE A USEFUL PROCEDURAL CHANGE TO THE ATC CTLR'S MANUAL.

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.