Flight crew of a B737-300 failed to respond and make a timely descent as requested by ATC, together with overshooting assigned airway interception. This resulted in ATC intervention to request an immediate turn and to expedite their descent in order to maintain separation with other traffic.

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Attributes
ACN	360445
Time
Date	199702
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hbu
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : j28
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	360445
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During descent from FL370 to FL330, ATC instructions were turn left 10 degrees and intercept J28 east of hbu. I was giving IOE to a new copilot who was unfamiliar with FMS area navigation. While he was transitioning from lateral navigation to VOR navigation, we overshot the J28 radial and that's when I observed the opposite direction traffic at FL350. Center gave a 30 degree left turn vector and requested an expedited descent to FL330. We complied. Center never advised us of the other traffic when he gave us the descent or vector intercept heading, so I was using it as an opportunity for training the new copilot on our alternative navigation system. Complicating the situation was that the captain's yoke radio transmit switch was inoperative having been carried over for several days awaiting maintenance service, so I was having to juggle the hand-held microphone along with unfolding the en route chart while coaching the copilot. Had the controller advised us of the approaching traffic I would have handled the situation very differently. I think we came within 5 NM of the other traffic according to the TCASII.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-300 FAILED TO RESPOND AND MAKE A TIMELY DSCNT AS REQUESTED BY ATC, TOGETHER WITH OVERSHOOTING ASSIGNED AIRWAY INTERCEPTION. THIS RESULTED IN ATC INTERVENTION TO REQUEST AN IMMEDIATE TURN AND TO EXPEDITE THEIR DSCNT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION WITH OTHER TFC.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT FROM FL370 TO FL330, ATC INSTRUCTIONS WERE TURN L 10 DEGS AND INTERCEPT J28 E OF HBU. I WAS GIVING IOE TO A NEW COPLT WHO WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH FMS AREA NAV. WHILE HE WAS TRANSITIONING FROM LATERAL NAV TO VOR NAV, WE OVERSHOT THE J28 RADIAL AND THAT'S WHEN I OBSERVED THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT FL350. CTR GAVE A 30 DEG L TURN VECTOR AND REQUESTED AN EXPEDITED DSCNT TO FL330. WE COMPLIED. CTR NEVER ADVISED US OF THE OTHER TFC WHEN HE GAVE US THE DSCNT OR VECTOR INTERCEPT HDG, SO I WAS USING IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TRAINING THE NEW COPLT ON OUR ALTERNATIVE NAV SYS. COMPLICATING THE SIT WAS THAT THE CAPT'S YOKE RADIO XMIT SWITCH WAS INOP HAVING BEEN CARRIED OVER FOR SEVERAL DAYS AWAITING MAINT SVC, SO I WAS HAVING TO JUGGLE THE HAND-HELD MIKE ALONG WITH UNFOLDING THE ENRTE CHART WHILE COACHING THE COPLT. HAD THE CTLR ADVISED US OF THE APCHING TFC I WOULD HAVE HANDLED THE SIT VERY DIFFERENTLY. I THINK WE CAME WITHIN 5 NM OF THE OTHER TFC ACCORDING TO THE TCASII.

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.