Altitude deviation altitude undershot in descent. Altitude crossing restr not met.

Attributes
ACN	317450
Time
Date	199510
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hcm
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
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 Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	317450
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared to cross 20 mi northwest of hcm VOR at FL270. Captain attempted to enter the crossing in the FMC. FMC would not accept. Captain then received ATIS for orf. I had been flying the trip all month, and he was inquiring as to the status of a taxiway which was not approved as a taxi surface. While discussing the area, I neglected to start down out of FL290. Center asked us if we were going to start down. I immediately began the descent, but missed the crossing restr by about 9 mi. The problem arose from being distracted from flying the airplane, both in that the FMC would not accept the restr, and the discussion about the taxi surface at orf. The FMC would normally have been a great back-up for making the restr if it had been able to be programmed. I should not have been so involved in an item that was not as critical as the crossing restr.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT UNDERSHOT IN DSCNT. ALT XING RESTR NOT MET.

Narrative: CLRED TO CROSS 20 MI NW OF HCM VOR AT FL270. CAPT ATTEMPTED TO ENTER THE XING IN THE FMC. FMC WOULD NOT ACCEPT. CAPT THEN RECEIVED ATIS FOR ORF. I HAD BEEN FLYING THE TRIP ALL MONTH, AND HE WAS INQUIRING AS TO THE STATUS OF A TXWY WHICH WAS NOT APPROVED AS A TAXI SURFACE. WHILE DISCUSSING THE AREA, I NEGLECTED TO START DOWN OUT OF FL290. CTR ASKED US IF WE WERE GOING TO START DOWN. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN THE DSCNT, BUT MISSED THE XING RESTR BY ABOUT 9 MI. THE PROB AROSE FROM BEING DISTRACTED FROM FLYING THE AIRPLANE, BOTH IN THAT THE FMC WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE RESTR, AND THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TAXI SURFACE AT ORF. THE FMC WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BEEN A GREAT BACK-UP FOR MAKING THE RESTR IF IT HAD BEEN ABLE TO BE PROGRAMMED. I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SO INVOLVED IN AN ITEM THAT WAS NOT AS CRITICAL AS THE XING RESTR.

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.