MD80 on the iron STAR dca was cleared to cross ojaay 10000 ft. First officer, PF, set both vors on dca thinking ojaay was 48 mi from dca. Captain caught error after getting ATIS and advised center they would be high at ojaay. Center said no problem.

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Attributes
ACN	357140
Time
Date	199701
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ric
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc tower : psp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8800 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	357140
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented none taken : insufficient time other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching our destination of dca, we were assigned to cross the 'ojaay' intersection on the iron arrival at 10000 ft. We acknowledged the clearance. As the first officer was flying, I went off ATC frequency to get the current dca ATIS. When I returned to ATC frequency, I noticed that both the first officer and I were tuned to the dca VOR. I switched to the ric VOR to determine our distance from 'ojaay.' when I saw we were getting very close to ojaay and that we were still pretty high, I told the first officer to descend immediately. The first officer then blurted an expletive and then said he just realized that he erroneously thought ojaay was 48 NM from dca. I called ZDC telling them we may be high at ojaay. Their reply was, 'roger.' my distraction getting the ATIS coupled with the first officer's error caused us to be high at the assigned fix. Lesson learned: stay alert to what's going on even when 'off doing other things.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 ON THE IRON STAR DCA WAS CLRED TO CROSS OJAAY 10000 FT. FO, PF, SET BOTH VORS ON DCA THINKING OJAAY WAS 48 MI FROM DCA. CAPT CAUGHT ERROR AFTER GETTING ATIS AND ADVISED CTR THEY WOULD BE HIGH AT OJAAY. CTR SAID NO PROB.

Narrative: APCHING OUR DEST OF DCA, WE WERE ASSIGNED TO CROSS THE 'OJAAY' INTXN ON THE IRON ARR AT 10000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC. AS THE FO WAS FLYING, I WENT OFF ATC FREQ TO GET THE CURRENT DCA ATIS. WHEN I RETURNED TO ATC FREQ, I NOTICED THAT BOTH THE FO AND I WERE TUNED TO THE DCA VOR. I SWITCHED TO THE RIC VOR TO DETERMINE OUR DISTANCE FROM 'OJAAY.' WHEN I SAW WE WERE GETTING VERY CLOSE TO OJAAY AND THAT WE WERE STILL PRETTY HIGH, I TOLD THE FO TO DSND IMMEDIATELY. THE FO THEN BLURTED AN EXPLETIVE AND THEN SAID HE JUST REALIZED THAT HE ERRONEOUSLY THOUGHT OJAAY WAS 48 NM FROM DCA. I CALLED ZDC TELLING THEM WE MAY BE HIGH AT OJAAY. THEIR REPLY WAS, 'ROGER.' MY DISTR GETTING THE ATIS COUPLED WITH THE FO'S ERROR CAUSED US TO BE HIGH AT THE ASSIGNED FIX. LESSON LEARNED: STAY ALERT TO WHAT'S GOING ON EVEN WHEN 'OFF DOING OTHER 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.