An air carrier flight crew accepted crossing restr clearance for FL180, but inadvertently leveled off at FL240. At 10 NM west of the restr, the ARTCC radar controller queried the flight crew about their altitude, and then provided vectors away from traffic.

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Attributes
ACN	339040
Time
Date	199606
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fqm
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute airway : zny
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	339040
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was the captain of flight from cle to ewr. After passing over slate run VOR (slt) we were cleared pilot's discretion to FL240 followed not much later by a crossing restr of FL180 at hayed intersection. My copilot was flying and started a descent at the proper point for hayed. I turned my attention to obtaining ewr ATIS and contacting the company for our arrival gate, as well as maintenance, with some write-ups. The #2 radio, which I was using for these communications, was weak and intermittent and caused me to be distracted from maintaining the flight profile. The copilot stopped descent at FL240 instead of continuing to FL180. I did not catch this. ZNY called us about 10 NM west of hayed intersection and asked if we would make the FL180 crossing restr. We did our best but traffic required ZNY to turn us south. When we reached FL180, center turned us back on course. Controller was not happy and we were embarrassed. I need to spend more time monitoring the flight profile and less time talking to company about unimportant things.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC ACCEPTED XING RESTR CLRNC FOR FL180, BUT INADVERTENTLY LEVELED OFF AT FL240. AT 10 NM W OF THE RESTR, THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR QUERIED THE FLC ABOUT THEIR ALT, AND THEN PROVIDED VECTORS AWAY FROM TFC.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT FROM CLE TO EWR. AFTER PASSING OVER SLATE RUN VOR (SLT) WE WERE CLRED PLT'S DISCRETION TO FL240 FOLLOWED NOT MUCH LATER BY A XING RESTR OF FL180 AT HAYED INTXN. MY COPLT WAS FLYING AND STARTED A DSCNT AT THE PROPER POINT FOR HAYED. I TURNED MY ATTN TO OBTAINING EWR ATIS AND CONTACTING THE COMPANY FOR OUR ARR GATE, AS WELL AS MAINT, WITH SOME WRITE-UPS. THE #2 RADIO, WHICH I WAS USING FOR THESE COMS, WAS WEAK AND INTERMITTENT AND CAUSED ME TO BE DISTRACTED FROM MAINTAINING THE FLT PROFILE. THE COPLT STOPPED DSCNT AT FL240 INSTEAD OF CONTINUING TO FL180. I DID NOT CATCH THIS. ZNY CALLED US ABOUT 10 NM W OF HAYED INTXN AND ASKED IF WE WOULD MAKE THE FL180 XING RESTR. WE DID OUR BEST BUT TFC REQUIRED ZNY TO TURN US S. WHEN WE REACHED FL180, CTR TURNED US BACK ON COURSE. CTLR WAS NOT HAPPY AND WE WERE EMBARRASSED. I NEED TO SPEND MORE TIME MONITORING THE FLT PROFILE AND LESS TIME TALKING TO COMPANY ABOUT UNIMPORTANT THINGS.

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.