Flight crew fails to comply with altitude restr.

Attributes
ACN	321400
Time
Date	199511
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bwz
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-500
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	321400
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 : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First officer flying. Programmed FMC for fqmol arrival with altitudes, ie, hayed 18000 ft, sweet 7000 ft. We were given a clearance to 13000 ft MSL, then a crossing restr of sweet at 7000 ft. The first officer was in VNAV, went to descent page looking for capture to start down. I told him for the FMC to calculate a path he needed to put our altitude in the cruise page (13000 ft) so it would calculate a path to 7000 ft at sweet intersection. Instead of entering 13000 ft MSL he entered 7000 ft MSL which was the crossing restr. I told him what he did wrong. By this time we were past our descent point by a couple mi, so he selected level change, and used the spoilers. Depending on using DME or FMC position or crossing radial we were either 500 ft high or within 300 ft. There was no traffic on TCASII and approach control was not busy, nor was anything said. We probably were within the 300 ft. The first officer is new to the aircraft. He has approximately 100 hours as first officer on B737-300/500 and very little time in the -500 EFIS.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC FAILS TO COMPLY WITH ALT RESTR.

Narrative: FO FLYING. PROGRAMMED FMC FOR FQMOL ARR WITH ALTS, IE, HAYED 18000 FT, SWEET 7000 FT. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO 13000 FT MSL, THEN A XING RESTR OF SWEET AT 7000 FT. THE FO WAS IN VNAV, WENT TO DSCNT PAGE LOOKING FOR CAPTURE TO START DOWN. I TOLD HIM FOR THE FMC TO CALCULATE A PATH HE NEEDED TO PUT OUR ALT IN THE CRUISE PAGE (13000 FT) SO IT WOULD CALCULATE A PATH TO 7000 FT AT SWEET INTXN. INSTEAD OF ENTERING 13000 FT MSL HE ENTERED 7000 FT MSL WHICH WAS THE XING RESTR. I TOLD HIM WHAT HE DID WRONG. BY THIS TIME WE WERE PAST OUR DSCNT POINT BY A COUPLE MI, SO HE SELECTED LEVEL CHANGE, AND USED THE SPOILERS. DEPENDING ON USING DME OR FMC POS OR XING RADIAL WE WERE EITHER 500 FT HIGH OR WITHIN 300 FT. THERE WAS NO TFC ON TCASII AND APCH CTL WAS NOT BUSY, NOR WAS ANYTHING SAID. WE PROBABLY WERE WITHIN THE 300 FT. THE FO IS NEW TO THE ACFT. HE HAS APPROX 100 HRS AS FO ON B737-300/500 AND VERY LITTLE TIME IN THE -500 EFIS.

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.