Narrative:

We were cleared by center to cross 30 mi west of cofax at 17000 ft. We were at FL250. As I was making my calculation on when to start down, a flight attendant came in the cockpit with a problem in the cabin. The problem was resolved quickly and the captain noted we were tight on our crossing. I began an immediate descent and calculated we would make our crossing ok. However, when the autoplt went into the altitude acquire mode about 18500 ft, I could see we would not make the crossing with that rate of descent. I disengaged the autoplt and continued the descent to make the crossing. But in doing all this, I forgot to reset my altimeter. The captain noted we were high and my altimeter, so then I continued my descent to 17000 ft, but unfortunately just passed the crossing fix. It wouldn't have happened if I had done my primary job of flying the airplane and not getting involved with the write-up the flight attendant brought in. Of course, not resetting my altimeter just added to the situation and I thought it couldn't happen to me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG WAS CLRED TO CROSS 30 MI W COFAX. CABIN ATTENDANT CAME INTO COCKPIT WITH A PROB AND DURING THE DISCUSSION THE FO, PF, GOT BEHIND THE ACFT AND ENDED UP HIGH OVER XING POINT. HE FAILED TO RESET THE ALTIMETER OUT FL180 WHICH COMPOUNDED THE PROB.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED BY CTR TO CROSS 30 MI W OF COFAX AT 17000 FT. WE WERE AT FL250. AS I WAS MAKING MY CALCULATION ON WHEN TO START DOWN, A FLT ATTENDANT CAME IN THE COCKPIT WITH A PROB IN THE CABIN. THE PROB WAS RESOLVED QUICKLY AND THE CAPT NOTED WE WERE TIGHT ON OUR XING. I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE DSCNT AND CALCULATED WE WOULD MAKE OUR XING OK. HOWEVER, WHEN THE AUTOPLT WENT INTO THE ALT ACQUIRE MODE ABOUT 18500 FT, I COULD SEE WE WOULD NOT MAKE THE XING WITH THAT RATE OF DSCNT. I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND CONTINUED THE DSCNT TO MAKE THE XING. BUT IN DOING ALL THIS, I FORGOT TO RESET MY ALTIMETER. THE CAPT NOTED WE WERE HIGH AND MY ALTIMETER, SO THEN I CONTINUED MY DSCNT TO 17000 FT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY JUST PASSED THE XING FIX. IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD DONE MY PRIMARY JOB OF FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND NOT GETTING INVOLVED WITH THE WRITE-UP THE FLT ATTENDANT BROUGHT IN. OF COURSE, NOT RESETTING MY ALTIMETER JUST ADDED TO THE SIT AND I THOUGHT IT COULDN'T HAPPEN TO ME.

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.