Narrative:

First officer was flying. Cleared sinca 3 STAR into atl. Captain DME inoperative. Company called and I turned ATC communications over to first officer. After discussing delays into and out of atl, and fuel loads, I returned to ATC communications. First officer had reset altitude alerter to 12000 ft. I asked for update and he said 'pilot's discretion to 12000 ft.' his DME had not locked onto atl, probably due to heavy traffic congestion in area. I was tuned to dbn and we were past dbn tracking the STAR. Just about then, ATC asked our altitude, and I responded FL290. ATC said we were supposed to be at 12000 ft by sinca. I checked xradial off mcn and sure enough, we were over sinca at FL290. ATC gave us a right 360 degree turn and descend immediately. First officer appeared confused and wanted to argue. I had to repeat the command several times and was almost to the point of taking the controls away from the first officer. We made 12000 ft by the completion of the 360 degree turn and ARTCC turned us over to atl approach. This first officer has exhibited a lack of situational awareness on several occasions, and coupled with mediocre plting skills, should have commanded constant vigilance on my part. Instead, I allowed him to lull me into a compromising situation. Although it increased my workload tremendously, I watched him like a hawk throughout the remainder of our legs. It won't happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT RPT REGARDING MISSED XING RESTR WHEN HE WAS COMMUNICATING WITH COMPANY AND FO ACCEPTED CLRNC BUT DID NOT START DOWN. SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 12000 FT AND WERE STILL AT FL290.

Narrative: FO WAS FLYING. CLRED SINCA 3 STAR INTO ATL. CAPT DME INOP. COMPANY CALLED AND I TURNED ATC COMS OVER TO FO. AFTER DISCUSSING DELAYS INTO AND OUT OF ATL, AND FUEL LOADS, I RETURNED TO ATC COMS. FO HAD RESET ALT ALERTER TO 12000 FT. I ASKED FOR UPDATE AND HE SAID 'PLT'S DISCRETION TO 12000 FT.' HIS DME HAD NOT LOCKED ONTO ATL, PROBABLY DUE TO HVY TFC CONGESTION IN AREA. I WAS TUNED TO DBN AND WE WERE PAST DBN TRACKING THE STAR. JUST ABOUT THEN, ATC ASKED OUR ALT, AND I RESPONDED FL290. ATC SAID WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 12000 FT BY SINCA. I CHKED XRADIAL OFF MCN AND SURE ENOUGH, WE WERE OVER SINCA AT FL290. ATC GAVE US A R 360 DEG TURN AND DSND IMMEDIATELY. FO APPEARED CONFUSED AND WANTED TO ARGUE. I HAD TO REPEAT THE COMMAND SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS ALMOST TO THE POINT OF TAKING THE CTLS AWAY FROM THE FO. WE MADE 12000 FT BY THE COMPLETION OF THE 360 DEG TURN AND ARTCC TURNED US OVER TO ATL APCH. THIS FO HAS EXHIBITED A LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND COUPLED WITH MEDIOCRE PLTING SKILLS, SHOULD HAVE COMMANDED CONSTANT VIGILANCE ON MY PART. INSTEAD, I ALLOWED HIM TO LULL ME INTO A COMPROMISING SIT. ALTHOUGH IT INCREASED MY WORKLOAD TREMENDOUSLY, I WATCHED HIM LIKE A HAWK THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF OUR LEGS. IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.