Narrative:

Clearance to cross the story intersection at 10000 ft was given and acknowledged. Top of descent altitude was 39000 ft with first officer flying his last leg of 'supervised line experience' flight. The descent was initiated with appropriate distance to make the crossing restr. The first officer continued to fly the descent profile, while I attended to some last min cabin logbook items forwarded to the so by the cabin crew. When I got back into the loop, I discovered the first officer had shallowed the descent. I indicated that the descent rate would need to be increased to make the restr and the first officer responded by pushing the aircraft into a steeper descent, but it was becoming evident that we may be marginally close on the crossing altitude. We were asked by ATC for our best rate through 12000 ft, and we were already through 11000 ft descending to 10000 ft. We crossed the actual fix at 10600 ft and reached 10000 ft 1 mi beyond the intersection. I felt we did not comprise any conflicting traffic and ATC did not respond in any way to indicate that spacing requirements had been violated. However, I felt this report should be filed. Although I was on top of the training situation, I was lax in letting the first officer fly the aircraft to the appropriate altitude and the appropriate fix (intersection) but a lesson was learned by the first officer in making the appropriate calculations for a timely descent in a more timely manner -- that item was debriefed, we both felt we should have communicated our own descent calculations a little bit better and no confusion would have been allowed, and thus the outcome would not have been as hurried. This will be done in all future flts, with old veterans or brand new pilots at the controls.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT UNDERSHOT IN DSCNT. ALT XING RESTR NOT MET. NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: CLRNC TO CROSS THE STORY INTXN AT 10000 FT WAS GIVEN AND ACKNOWLEDGED. TOP OF DSCNT ALT WAS 39000 FT WITH FO FLYING HIS LAST LEG OF 'SUPERVISED LINE EXPERIENCE' FLT. THE DSCNT WAS INITIATED WITH APPROPRIATE DISTANCE TO MAKE THE XING RESTR. THE FO CONTINUED TO FLY THE DSCNT PROFILE, WHILE I ATTENDED TO SOME LAST MIN CABIN LOGBOOK ITEMS FORWARDED TO THE SO BY THE CABIN CREW. WHEN I GOT BACK INTO THE LOOP, I DISCOVERED THE FO HAD SHALLOWED THE DSCNT. I INDICATED THAT THE DSCNT RATE WOULD NEED TO BE INCREASED TO MAKE THE RESTR AND THE FO RESPONDED BY PUSHING THE ACFT INTO A STEEPER DSCNT, BUT IT WAS BECOMING EVIDENT THAT WE MAY BE MARGINALLY CLOSE ON THE XING ALT. WE WERE ASKED BY ATC FOR OUR BEST RATE THROUGH 12000 FT, AND WE WERE ALREADY THROUGH 11000 FT DSNDING TO 10000 FT. WE CROSSED THE ACTUAL FIX AT 10600 FT AND REACHED 10000 FT 1 MI BEYOND THE INTXN. I FELT WE DID NOT COMPRISE ANY CONFLICTING TFC AND ATC DID NOT RESPOND IN ANY WAY TO INDICATE THAT SPACING REQUIREMENTS HAD BEEN VIOLATED. HOWEVER, I FELT THIS RPT SHOULD BE FILED. ALTHOUGH I WAS ON TOP OF THE TRAINING SIT, I WAS LAX IN LETTING THE FO FLY THE ACFT TO THE APPROPRIATE ALT AND THE APPROPRIATE FIX (INTXN) BUT A LESSON WAS LEARNED BY THE FO IN MAKING THE APPROPRIATE CALCULATIONS FOR A TIMELY DSCNT IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER -- THAT ITEM WAS DEBRIEFED, WE BOTH FELT WE SHOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED OUR OWN DSCNT CALCULATIONS A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND NO CONFUSION WOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED, AND THUS THE OUTCOME WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AS HURRIED. THIS WILL BE DONE IN ALL FUTURE FLTS, WITH OLD VETERANS OR BRAND NEW PLTS AT THE CTLS.

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.