An air carrier medium large transport flight crew crossed a navigation point too high.

Attributes
ACN	392130
Time
Date	199801
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sax
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 6500
ASRS Report	392130
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight was given clearance to cross 25 DME northeast of sax. At 7000 ft, descent was begun at 45 DME, but due to other cockpit radios and communication with cabin crew, flight was late arriving at 7000 ft. ATC was notified of this and controller advised flight to continue descent and that it was in 'someone else's airspace.' there were no traffic conflicts and flight proceeded normally. Cockpit confusion was the cause, including high workload of crew. Recommend increased crew attention in high workload phases of flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG FLC CROSSED A NAV POINT TOO HIGH.

Narrative: FLT WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO CROSS 25 DME NE OF SAX. AT 7000 FT, DSCNT WAS BEGUN AT 45 DME, BUT DUE TO OTHER COCKPIT RADIOS AND COM WITH CABIN CREW, FLT WAS LATE ARRIVING AT 7000 FT. ATC WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS AND CTLR ADVISED FLT TO CONTINUE DSCNT AND THAT IT WAS IN 'SOMEONE ELSE'S AIRSPACE.' THERE WERE NO TFC CONFLICTS AND FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY. COCKPIT CONFUSION WAS THE CAUSE, INCLUDING HIGH WORKLOAD OF CREW. RECOMMEND INCREASED CREW ATTN IN HIGH WORKLOAD PHASES OF FLT.

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.