Narrative:

Approaching cos from the west at FL260, 100 NM from pike's peak. Captain: 'please call FSS den and get cos and publication WX.' there's a recording. Captain: 'try abq FSS.' first officer later states, 'ok. Abq FSS says if I stay on the line he'll have new WX in about 4 mins.' ATC clearance: 'flight xyz, turn left heading 030 degrees, intercept the cos 213 degree radial.' captain readback: 'left turn heading 030 degrees to intercept the cos 213 degree radial.' captain engages heading select 030 degrees, selects navigation, and manually tunes cos. The 213 degree radial matches heading select with inbound track of 033 degrees. First officer: 'do you want me to load the FMS?' captain: 'yes, please, thanks.' ATC clearance: 'flight xyz cross 25 mi west of cos at 16000 ft.' captain: 'what was that? Did he say 20 mi west of cos at 16000 ft?' first officer: 'ummmm, I'll check.' first officer loads FMC for crossing restr (FMC displays waypoint cos-1 at 60 mi) then says, 'box is loaded!' (first officer still punching buttons on FMC panel). Captain looks down at the FMC display. It indicates cos-1 at 11 mi. He closes the thrust levers, applies speed brakes, and initiates a 4000 FPM descent rate. Captain: 'ZDV, flight xyz, we're not going to make the crossing restr.' ATC clearance: 'flight xyz, continue descent to 16000 ft and slow to 250 KTS.' first officer: 'captain, I am so sorry I loaded the fix east of cos, not west of cos.' captain: 'descent and approach checklist.' ATC clearance: 'flight xyz, turn left heading 300 degrees and descend to 10000 ft.' first officer misses call. Captain: 'left 300 degrees, continue descent 10000 ft, heading select 030 degrees.' ATC: 'continue turn to 270 degrees.' first officer misses call again as he reads checklist aloud. Captain: 'left turn 270 degrees.' captain dials in heading. ATC clearance: 'flight xyz, I'm going to need you to turn now, stop descent at 12000 ft.' captain: 'damn it, to what heading? Ask him.' ATC: 'left turn 270 degrees, stop descent at 12000 ft.' first officer: 'roger, left 270 degrees, descend to 12000 ft.' captain: 'turn heading select to 270 degrees.' first officer: 'do you want me to call company?' captain: 'no! Forget company -- I need you with me on the radio.' captain and first officer resynched and the remainder of the flight went smoothly. Captain allowed first officer to be off-line for too long to obtain WX. (Pike's peak blocks reception of cos ATIS from the west and the WX was known to be marginal.) captain's need for updated WX was valid, but cockpit operations became too busy to justify severance of crew communication. First officer was eager and perhaps overzealous and misloaded FMC. Up to this point first officer had performed flawlessly. ATC changed our descent profile (due to WX) right at, or very close to the top of descent. Instead of a crossing restr, ATC could have issued a standard 'descend and maintain 16000 ft, good rate of descent.' lessons learned: crew communication deteriorated due to lack of FMC input feedback and being 'off-line' during a critical, labor intensive period of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POOR CRM AND A LATE DSCNT CLRNC DURING A HVY COCKPIT WORKLOAD ARE CITED AS CONTRIBUTING TO AN ACR FLC'S FAILURE TO MEET A XING RESTR. THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR ISSUED A NEW CLRNC AS A RESULT OF THE CREW'S FAILURE TO MEET THE RESTR.

Narrative: APCHING COS FROM THE W AT FL260, 100 NM FROM PIKE'S PEAK. CAPT: 'PLEASE CALL FSS DEN AND GET COS AND PUB WX.' THERE'S A RECORDING. CAPT: 'TRY ABQ FSS.' FO LATER STATES, 'OK. ABQ FSS SAYS IF I STAY ON THE LINE HE'LL HAVE NEW WX IN ABOUT 4 MINS.' ATC CLRNC: 'FLT XYZ, TURN L HDG 030 DEGS, INTERCEPT THE COS 213 DEG RADIAL.' CAPT READBACK: 'L TURN HDG 030 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE COS 213 DEG RADIAL.' CAPT ENGAGES HDG SELECT 030 DEGS, SELECTS NAV, AND MANUALLY TUNES COS. THE 213 DEG RADIAL MATCHES HDG SELECT WITH INBOUND TRACK OF 033 DEGS. FO: 'DO YOU WANT ME TO LOAD THE FMS?' CAPT: 'YES, PLEASE, THANKS.' ATC CLRNC: 'FLT XYZ CROSS 25 MI W OF COS AT 16000 FT.' CAPT: 'WHAT WAS THAT? DID HE SAY 20 MI W OF COS AT 16000 FT?' FO: 'UMMMM, I'LL CHK.' FO LOADS FMC FOR XING RESTR (FMC DISPLAYS WAYPOINT COS-1 AT 60 MI) THEN SAYS, 'BOX IS LOADED!' (FO STILL PUNCHING BUTTONS ON FMC PANEL). CAPT LOOKS DOWN AT THE FMC DISPLAY. IT INDICATES COS-1 AT 11 MI. HE CLOSES THE THRUST LEVERS, APPLIES SPD BRAKES, AND INITIATES A 4000 FPM DSCNT RATE. CAPT: 'ZDV, FLT XYZ, WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE XING RESTR.' ATC CLRNC: 'FLT XYZ, CONTINUE DSCNT TO 16000 FT AND SLOW TO 250 KTS.' FO: 'CAPT, I AM SO SORRY I LOADED THE FIX E OF COS, NOT W OF COS.' CAPT: 'DSCNT AND APCH CHKLIST.' ATC CLRNC: 'FLT XYZ, TURN L HDG 300 DEGS AND DSND TO 10000 FT.' FO MISSES CALL. CAPT: 'L 300 DEGS, CONTINUE DSCNT 10000 FT, HDG SELECT 030 DEGS.' ATC: 'CONTINUE TURN TO 270 DEGS.' FO MISSES CALL AGAIN AS HE READS CHKLIST ALOUD. CAPT: 'L TURN 270 DEGS.' CAPT DIALS IN HDG. ATC CLRNC: 'FLT XYZ, I'M GOING TO NEED YOU TO TURN NOW, STOP DSCNT AT 12000 FT.' CAPT: 'DAMN IT, TO WHAT HDG? ASK HIM.' ATC: 'L TURN 270 DEGS, STOP DSCNT AT 12000 FT.' FO: 'ROGER, L 270 DEGS, DSND TO 12000 FT.' CAPT: 'TURN HDG SELECT TO 270 DEGS.' FO: 'DO YOU WANT ME TO CALL COMPANY?' CAPT: 'NO! FORGET COMPANY -- I NEED YOU WITH ME ON THE RADIO.' CAPT AND FO RESYNCHED AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WENT SMOOTHLY. CAPT ALLOWED FO TO BE OFF-LINE FOR TOO LONG TO OBTAIN WX. (PIKE'S PEAK BLOCKS RECEPTION OF COS ATIS FROM THE W AND THE WX WAS KNOWN TO BE MARGINAL.) CAPT'S NEED FOR UPDATED WX WAS VALID, BUT COCKPIT OPS BECAME TOO BUSY TO JUSTIFY SEVERANCE OF CREW COM. FO WAS EAGER AND PERHAPS OVERZEALOUS AND MISLOADED FMC. UP TO THIS POINT FO HAD PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY. ATC CHANGED OUR DSCNT PROFILE (DUE TO WX) RIGHT AT, OR VERY CLOSE TO THE TOP OF DSCNT. INSTEAD OF A XING RESTR, ATC COULD HAVE ISSUED A STANDARD 'DSND AND MAINTAIN 16000 FT, GOOD RATE OF DSCNT.' LESSONS LEARNED: CREW COM DETERIORATED DUE TO LACK OF FMC INPUT FEEDBACK AND BEING 'OFF-LINE' DURING A CRITICAL, LABOR INTENSIVE PERIOD OF FLT.

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.