Narrative:

I was the captain of a commuter flight from evansville, in, to st louis, mo, conducted in a british aerospace 3201 jetstream. The right seat was occupied by another captain who was gaining right seat experience to further his IOE training. The original flight plan was direct mwa then the qball 3 arrival via the marion transition. Approximately 7 NM east of mwa the clearance was revised to fly the 288 degree radial from mwa to join the 155 degree radial from stl qball 3 arrival. Approximately 25 NM west of the mwa VOR a passenger entered the flight deck by opening the cockpit curtain. The passenger, a lady, was complaining about the temperature and the ride in the passenger cabin. I dealt with the complaint because I was the PNF. Unfortunately, this occurrence took away from my radio duties. There was some radio traffic at the time, but I do not recall ever receiving an altitude restr at the qball intersection. If the clearance was issued it must have been at this time. The cruise altitude of the aircraft was 10000 ft MSL at this time, and the alleged crossing restr was 8000 ft MSL. We joined the stl 155 degree radial somewhere near qball. I was currently getting ATIS for the st louis international airport when a traffic alert was heard. Looking down at the TCASII display a target was shown directly over us at 1200 ft. I called the traffic to st louis approach who sounded confused and gave us a descent to 7000 ft MSL and asked about the 8000 ft MSL crossing restr. I told the controller that I could not recall receiving the clearance. The PF 'dumped' the aircraft and we crossed 43 DME south of st louis VOR at 8000 ft MSL (missing qball by approximately 5 DME). We were given a left 30 degree heading change followed immediately by a 60 degree heading change to the right which got us in line for an ILS to runway 30R. Believing a possible conflict occurred we called the stl TRACON on our own accord after arrival. The cause of this incident was possibly partly due to the lack of lockable doors on the jetstream allowing passenger interruptions. The direct course to qball makes altitude planning for xings very difficult and a late handoff from ZKC leaves the stl controller 'behind the power curve.' there was also a lot of company traffic that may have 'intercepted' our clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR BA32 FLC HAD A CONFLICT WITH AN ACR DC9 WHEN THEY DID NOT COMPLY WITH A XING RESTR. THIS WAS, IN PART, DUE TO A PAX WHO ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE TEMP AND THE RIDE.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF A COMMUTER FLT FROM EVANSVILLE, IN, TO ST LOUIS, MO, CONDUCTED IN A BRITISH AEROSPACE 3201 JETSTREAM. THE R SEAT WAS OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER CAPT WHO WAS GAINING R SEAT EXPERIENCE TO FURTHER HIS IOE TRAINING. THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN WAS DIRECT MWA THEN THE QBALL 3 ARR VIA THE MARION TRANSITION. APPROX 7 NM E OF MWA THE CLRNC WAS REVISED TO FLY THE 288 DEG RADIAL FROM MWA TO JOIN THE 155 DEG RADIAL FROM STL QBALL 3 ARR. APPROX 25 NM W OF THE MWA VOR A PAX ENTERED THE FLT DECK BY OPENING THE COCKPIT CURTAIN. THE PAX, A LADY, WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TEMP AND THE RIDE IN THE PAX CABIN. I DEALT WITH THE COMPLAINT BECAUSE I WAS THE PNF. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS OCCURRENCE TOOK AWAY FROM MY RADIO DUTIES. THERE WAS SOME RADIO TFC AT THE TIME, BUT I DO NOT RECALL EVER RECEIVING AN ALT RESTR AT THE QBALL INTXN. IF THE CLRNC WAS ISSUED IT MUST HAVE BEEN AT THIS TIME. THE CRUISE ALT OF THE ACFT WAS 10000 FT MSL AT THIS TIME, AND THE ALLEGED XING RESTR WAS 8000 FT MSL. WE JOINED THE STL 155 DEG RADIAL SOMEWHERE NEAR QBALL. I WAS CURRENTLY GETTING ATIS FOR THE ST LOUIS INTL ARPT WHEN A TFC ALERT WAS HEARD. LOOKING DOWN AT THE TCASII DISPLAY A TARGET WAS SHOWN DIRECTLY OVER US AT 1200 FT. I CALLED THE TFC TO ST LOUIS APCH WHO SOUNDED CONFUSED AND GAVE US A DSCNT TO 7000 FT MSL AND ASKED ABOUT THE 8000 FT MSL XING RESTR. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I COULD NOT RECALL RECEIVING THE CLRNC. THE PF 'DUMPED' THE ACFT AND WE CROSSED 43 DME S OF ST LOUIS VOR AT 8000 FT MSL (MISSING QBALL BY APPROX 5 DME). WE WERE GIVEN A L 30 DEG HDG CHANGE FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY A 60 DEG HDG CHANGE TO THE R WHICH GOT US IN LINE FOR AN ILS TO RWY 30R. BELIEVING A POSSIBLE CONFLICT OCCURRED WE CALLED THE STL TRACON ON OUR OWN ACCORD AFTER ARR. THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS POSSIBLY PARTLY DUE TO THE LACK OF LOCKABLE DOORS ON THE JETSTREAM ALLOWING PAX INTERRUPTIONS. THE DIRECT COURSE TO QBALL MAKES ALT PLANNING FOR XINGS VERY DIFFICULT AND A LATE HDOF FROM ZKC LEAVES THE STL CTLR 'BEHIND THE PWR CURVE.' THERE WAS ALSO A LOT OF COMPANY TFC THAT MAY HAVE 'INTERCEPTED' OUR CLRNC.

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.