Altitude crossing restr missed.

Attributes
ACN	303365
Time
Date	199504
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : vrb
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zma
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	303365
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Descending into mia on the heatt 4 arrival, first officer flying and we were cleared (I think) to cross heatt at 16000 ft, descend to 14000 ft (or 11000 ft). First officer programmed the FMC and we started down. I got busy with ATIS, cabin calls, checklists, etc, and didn't aggressively monitor the first officer who took the autoplt off VNAV and began using vertical speed to avoid buildups. He shallowed the rate of descent and eventually leveled at our assigned altitude of 14000 ft (11000 ft). We then both came to the realization that we might have busted a restr at heatt, which we recall crossing at about 15000 ft. No comment was received from ATC but the first officer and I were concerned enough about our lack of precision to decide to fill out this form. I do not think that we actually busted the clearance but I will be the first to agree that we eventually became unsure of what it was. Solution: 1) write down crossing restrs. 2) monitor first officer's performance even if FMC is programmed. Human factors: FMC complacency 'set it up and forget it' does not work.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT XING RESTR MISSED.

Narrative: DSNDING INTO MIA ON THE HEATT 4 ARR, FO FLYING AND WE WERE CLRED (I THINK) TO CROSS HEATT AT 16000 FT, DSND TO 14000 FT (OR 11000 FT). FO PROGRAMMED THE FMC AND WE STARTED DOWN. I GOT BUSY WITH ATIS, CABIN CALLS, CHKLISTS, ETC, AND DIDN'T AGGRESSIVELY MONITOR THE FO WHO TOOK THE AUTOPLT OFF VNAV AND BEGAN USING VERT SPD TO AVOID BUILDUPS. HE SHALLOWED THE RATE OF DSCNT AND EVENTUALLY LEVELED AT OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 14000 FT (11000 FT). WE THEN BOTH CAME TO THE REALIZATION THAT WE MIGHT HAVE BUSTED A RESTR AT HEATT, WHICH WE RECALL XING AT ABOUT 15000 FT. NO COMMENT WAS RECEIVED FROM ATC BUT THE FO AND I WERE CONCERNED ENOUGH ABOUT OUR LACK OF PRECISION TO DECIDE TO FILL OUT THIS FORM. I DO NOT THINK THAT WE ACTUALLY BUSTED THE CLRNC BUT I WILL BE THE FIRST TO AGREE THAT WE EVENTUALLY BECAME UNSURE OF WHAT IT WAS. SOLUTION: 1) WRITE DOWN XING RESTRS. 2) MONITOR FO'S PERFORMANCE EVEN IF FMC IS PROGRAMMED. HUMAN FACTORS: FMC COMPLACENCY 'SET IT UP AND FORGET IT' DOES NOT WORK.

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.