Crossing restr missed due to misreading chart DME's.

Attributes
ACN	303638
Time
Date	199505
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ekn
State Reference	WV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 25000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	303638
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	303548
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified atc
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Center gave us a clearance to cross perry intersection at FL240. This intersection was not a normal crossing point. Usually center would give us a DME fix south of ekn VOR to cross at a specific altitude. The captain and I looked up the location of perry intersection on hi 7/8. The captain then programmed the pms to cross 33 DME south of ekn VOR at FL240. At 36 DME south of ekn descending through FL250 for FL240 the controller gave us a frequency change and told us we didn't make our crossing restr, which was 3 mi behind us. We rechked the mileage twice before I noticed the distance of perry intersection was indeed 39 mi south of ekn. The DME perry intersection showed on hi 7/8 chart was from pulaski VOR and on the fold of the chart. We could not make out the distance from pulaski from the chart, so the captain added the DME from elkins. Between ekn and perry intersection the captain added 2 segments on J53 of 23 DME plus 10 DME and loaded 33 DME as the crossing fix. Neither of us noticed until we checked the chart for a third time another segment of J53 of 6 DME that put perry intersection actually 39 DME south of ekn. It would have eliminated the confusion had we had a DME fix to cross from the NAVAID we were flying to. If the chart had defined the fix with a cumulative DME instead of individual distances for each segment it would have eliminated confusion.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: XING RESTR MISSED DUE TO MISREADING CHART DME'S.

Narrative: CTR GAVE US A CLRNC TO CROSS PERRY INTXN AT FL240. THIS INTXN WAS NOT A NORMAL XING POINT. USUALLY CTR WOULD GIVE US A DME FIX S OF EKN VOR TO CROSS AT A SPECIFIC ALT. THE CAPT AND I LOOKED UP THE LOCATION OF PERRY INTXN ON HI 7/8. THE CAPT THEN PROGRAMMED THE PMS TO CROSS 33 DME S OF EKN VOR AT FL240. AT 36 DME S OF EKN DSNDING THROUGH FL250 FOR FL240 THE CTLR GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE AND TOLD US WE DIDN'T MAKE OUR XING RESTR, WHICH WAS 3 MI BEHIND US. WE RECHKED THE MILEAGE TWICE BEFORE I NOTICED THE DISTANCE OF PERRY INTXN WAS INDEED 39 MI S OF EKN. THE DME PERRY INTXN SHOWED ON HI 7/8 CHART WAS FROM PULASKI VOR AND ON THE FOLD OF THE CHART. WE COULD NOT MAKE OUT THE DISTANCE FROM PULASKI FROM THE CHART, SO THE CAPT ADDED THE DME FROM ELKINS. BTWN EKN AND PERRY INTXN THE CAPT ADDED 2 SEGMENTS ON J53 OF 23 DME PLUS 10 DME AND LOADED 33 DME AS THE XING FIX. NEITHER OF US NOTICED UNTIL WE CHKED THE CHART FOR A THIRD TIME ANOTHER SEGMENT OF J53 OF 6 DME THAT PUT PERRY INTXN ACTUALLY 39 DME S OF EKN. IT WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE CONFUSION HAD WE HAD A DME FIX TO CROSS FROM THE NAVAID WE WERE FLYING TO. IF THE CHART HAD DEFINED THE FIX WITH A CUMULATIVE DME INSTEAD OF INDIVIDUAL DISTANCES FOR EACH SEGMENT IT WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED CONFUSION.

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.