F100 crew fails to make an altitude crossing restr. A casual check of the progress page satisfied th...

Attributes
ACN	381280
Time
Date	199709
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ffu
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 20500
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc tower : lax
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	381280
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

On descent into slc, ATC cleared us from FL280 to cross 16000 ft at spane on the spane arrival. The captain was flying and he started down using the immediate descent mode of the profile mode of the FMS. Approximately 10 mi from spane, ATC queried us if we would make the altitude. I looked at the navigation display and it looked close (I don't remember the exact numbers). I was running the descent check and getting the changeover report. Instead of doing the math, I simply went to the progress page of the FMS and checked the descent progress. It had us below the profile by more than 1500 ft so I did not pursue it further and stated we would make it. The captain concurred. We ended up crossing at FL205. We notified ATC and they told us to continue. Passing FL180, when I went to reset qnh, I noticed I had inadvertently pre-set the field QFE of 29.93 in the qnh window. This should not have affected the FMS profile, however, since autoplt #1 was in use. Lessons learned: 1) ATC clrncs are more important than checklists. 2) take ATC hints about altitude queries more seriously. 3) stay in the loop on aircraft position when not flying. 4) don't rely on FMS data alone, and 5) always monitor raw data.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: F100 CREW FAILS TO MAKE AN ALT XING RESTR. A CASUAL CHK OF THE PROGRESS PAGE SATISFIED THE FO THAT ALL WAS WELL. RPTR FO SAYS HE SHOULD HAVE CHKED THE RAW DATA MORE CLOSELY PLUS A FEW MORE TIPS.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO SLC, ATC CLRED US FROM FL280 TO CROSS 16000 FT AT SPANE ON THE SPANE ARR. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND HE STARTED DOWN USING THE IMMEDIATE DSCNT MODE OF THE PROFILE MODE OF THE FMS. APPROX 10 MI FROM SPANE, ATC QUERIED US IF WE WOULD MAKE THE ALT. I LOOKED AT THE NAV DISPLAY AND IT LOOKED CLOSE (I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBERS). I WAS RUNNING THE DSCNT CHK AND GETTING THE CHANGEOVER RPT. INSTEAD OF DOING THE MATH, I SIMPLY WENT TO THE PROGRESS PAGE OF THE FMS AND CHKED THE DSCNT PROGRESS. IT HAD US BELOW THE PROFILE BY MORE THAN 1500 FT SO I DID NOT PURSUE IT FURTHER AND STATED WE WOULD MAKE IT. THE CAPT CONCURRED. WE ENDED UP XING AT FL205. WE NOTIFIED ATC AND THEY TOLD US TO CONTINUE. PASSING FL180, WHEN I WENT TO RESET QNH, I NOTICED I HAD INADVERTENTLY PRE-SET THE FIELD QFE OF 29.93 IN THE QNH WINDOW. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE AFFECTED THE FMS PROFILE, HOWEVER, SINCE AUTOPLT #1 WAS IN USE. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) ATC CLRNCS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN CHKLISTS. 2) TAKE ATC HINTS ABOUT ALT QUERIES MORE SERIOUSLY. 3) STAY IN THE LOOP ON ACFT POS WHEN NOT FLYING. 4) DON'T RELY ON FMS DATA ALONE, AND 5) ALWAYS MONITOR RAW DATA.

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.

F100 crew fails to make an altitude crossing restr. A casual check of the progress page satisfied the first officer that all was well. Reporter first officer says he should have checked the raw data more closely plus a few more tips.