Narrative:

Cleared to descend into den airport with a crossing restr of 13000 ft 280 KTS. I watched the first officer (PF) enter it correctly in the FMC and the aircraft start to descend from 35000 ft. Previously we had been given 24000 ft pilot's discretion. I got busy getting the ATIS and contacting the company. The first I became aware that something was wrong was when I got through with the above and looked out, I saw how close we were to the airport and we were at 24000 ft 3 mi from the crossing restr. As I had been off the #1 VHF, I at this point thought we had been restr to 24000 ft, I asked the first officer and he said no. At which point I reminded him of the clearance and called den telling them we could not make the restr and were expediting our descent immediately. What occurred was, although the first officer had programmed the FMC, he did not put in the 13000 ft restr in the altitude select and although the FMC was programmed to 13000 ft it leveled off at 24000 ft. Contributing cause was lack of experience on this type aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 348263: we had already descended from a cruise altitude of FL370. We were level at FL240. We had a pilot's discretion descent from FL240 to cross the dandd fix at FL190. I had programmed the FMC for the crossing restr airspeed and altitude. However, the new altitude of FL190 had not been set in the altitude window on the glareshield.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON DANN ONE STAR DEN GIVEN XING RESTR OF 13000 FT 280 KTS. FO PROGRAMMED THE FMC BUT FAILED TO ENTER NEW ALT IN THE ALT WINDOW ON THE GLARESHIELD. ACFT LEVELED AT FL240. CAPT WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE COMPANY AND GETTING ATIS INFO. CTLR ADVISED EXPEDITING DSCNT TO 13000 FT.

Narrative: CLRED TO DSND INTO DEN ARPT WITH A XING RESTR OF 13000 FT 280 KTS. I WATCHED THE FO (PF) ENTER IT CORRECTLY IN THE FMC AND THE ACFT START TO DSND FROM 35000 FT. PREVIOUSLY WE HAD BEEN GIVEN 24000 FT PLT'S DISCRETION. I GOT BUSY GETTING THE ATIS AND CONTACTING THE COMPANY. THE FIRST I BECAME AWARE THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WAS WHEN I GOT THROUGH WITH THE ABOVE AND LOOKED OUT, I SAW HOW CLOSE WE WERE TO THE ARPT AND WE WERE AT 24000 FT 3 MI FROM THE XING RESTR. AS I HAD BEEN OFF THE #1 VHF, I AT THIS POINT THOUGHT WE HAD BEEN RESTR TO 24000 FT, I ASKED THE FO AND HE SAID NO. AT WHICH POINT I REMINDED HIM OF THE CLRNC AND CALLED DEN TELLING THEM WE COULD NOT MAKE THE RESTR AND WERE EXPEDITING OUR DSCNT IMMEDIATELY. WHAT OCCURRED WAS, ALTHOUGH THE FO HAD PROGRAMMED THE FMC, HE DID NOT PUT IN THE 13000 FT RESTR IN THE ALT SELECT AND ALTHOUGH THE FMC WAS PROGRAMMED TO 13000 FT IT LEVELED OFF AT 24000 FT. CONTRIBUTING CAUSE WAS LACK OF EXPERIENCE ON THIS TYPE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 348263: WE HAD ALREADY DSNDED FROM A CRUISE ALT OF FL370. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL240. WE HAD A PLT'S DISCRETION DSCNT FROM FL240 TO CROSS THE DANDD FIX AT FL190. I HAD PROGRAMMED THE FMC FOR THE XING RESTR AIRSPD AND ALT. HOWEVER, THE NEW ALT OF FL190 HAD NOT BEEN SET IN THE ALT WINDOW ON THE GLARESHIELD.

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.