Narrative:

We were told to cross 25 mi west of esl at FL250. We were told to expect a different runway than anticipated. During descent I reprogrammed the mcdu for the appropriate runway. When I looked up we were passing about FL280 at 30 NM west of esl. I told the pilot I thought we were high and asked him if he thought he could make it. I received no verbal but he knew we were cutting it close. He increased the speed (autoplt on) trying to increase our descent rate, and angle. Instead the power increased as the aircraft tried to make the requested speed with thrust, not pitch (speed brake extended). I considered bringing the throttles to idle, turning off the autoplt, and dumping the nose. But taking the aircraft from the other pilot in the A320 can add more confusion than it's worth. Instead I checked the outside traffic then TCASII and saw no conflicts. I believe we passed the fix 200-300 ft high. Cause -- complacency on my part. This was a strong pilot and I felt I had more leeway to concentrate on and clean up the mcdu. Once the landing runway is changed in the mcdu, the previously placed en route airspeed and altitude restrs disappear. After reprogramming the computer, I looked up and we were high. To this day I don't know why. Solution -- better xchking on my part, not over trusting anyone. A software design change of not dumping restrs when a runway is changed would be welcomed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: XING RESTR NOT MET. INCORRECT USE OF FCU (FLT CTL UNIT).

Narrative: WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS 25 MI W OF ESL AT FL250. WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT A DIFFERENT RWY THAN ANTICIPATED. DURING DSCNT I REPROGRAMMED THE MCDU FOR THE APPROPRIATE RWY. WHEN I LOOKED UP WE WERE PASSING ABOUT FL280 AT 30 NM W OF ESL. I TOLD THE PLT I THOUGHT WE WERE HIGH AND ASKED HIM IF HE THOUGHT HE COULD MAKE IT. I RECEIVED NO VERBAL BUT HE KNEW WE WERE CUTTING IT CLOSE. HE INCREASED THE SPD (AUTOPLT ON) TRYING TO INCREASE OUR DSCNT RATE, AND ANGLE. INSTEAD THE PWR INCREASED AS THE ACFT TRIED TO MAKE THE REQUESTED SPD WITH THRUST, NOT PITCH (SPD BRAKE EXTENDED). I CONSIDERED BRINGING THE THROTTLES TO IDLE, TURNING OFF THE AUTOPLT, AND DUMPING THE NOSE. BUT TAKING THE ACFT FROM THE OTHER PLT IN THE A320 CAN ADD MORE CONFUSION THAN IT'S WORTH. INSTEAD I CHKED THE OUTSIDE TFC THEN TCASII AND SAW NO CONFLICTS. I BELIEVE WE PASSED THE FIX 200-300 FT HIGH. CAUSE -- COMPLACENCY ON MY PART. THIS WAS A STRONG PLT AND I FELT I HAD MORE LEEWAY TO CONCENTRATE ON AND CLEAN UP THE MCDU. ONCE THE LNDG RWY IS CHANGED IN THE MCDU, THE PREVIOUSLY PLACED ENRTE AIRSPD AND ALT RESTRS DISAPPEAR. AFTER REPROGRAMMING THE COMPUTER, I LOOKED UP AND WE WERE HIGH. TO THIS DAY I DON'T KNOW WHY. SOLUTION -- BETTER XCHKING ON MY PART, NOT OVER TRUSTING ANYONE. A SOFTWARE DESIGN CHANGE OF NOT DUMPING RESTRS WHEN A RWY IS CHANGED WOULD BE WELCOMED.

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.