Narrative:

On the bsr arrival into sfo with first officer flying, we were given heading to fly and intercept oak 151 degree radial and then continue bsr arrival. I then gave the first officer the raw data to fly while I figured out how to replicate the task using the FMC. Subsequently, we were told to cross boldr at 10000 ft. I did not set 10000 ft in the MCP, probably because I was saturated trying to get the 'box' configured correctly. The first officer did not catch my error. He was dutifully intercepting the radial. Just when I noticed my mistake, ATC asked us if we were given 'boldr at 10000 ft.' I said yes, and we started down immediately from FL240. The crossing would have been close so ATC gave us a vector to get down. This type of clearance is becoming less and less common, ie, to go from glass to VOR radials and raw data. Therefore we as pilots are less proficient at doing it. Also the airbus FMC is not user friendly in this area. I have not done this type of rerte or task since transition training 1 yr ago! I probably stayed heads down more than I should have to 'see' if I could still do it easily. I could not. Because I got too busy with the box, I did not set the MCP altitude. Probably because it was a rare task the first officer was busy flying the old way of intercepting a radial and missed my error. I did in fact doublechk that his raw data was correct so I could concentrate on the glass, but I neglected the vertical mode. The problem and solution are twofold. As we become more geared to fly 'glass,' then ATC clrncs should reflect that, or since we got clrncs/rertes like this so infrequently, maybe the airlines should set up cheap procedures simulators in the domiciles so we can stay proficient at these seldom used raw data clrncs. Since I have not done this type of task since training, I consider this a training problem in the situational awareness area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLC HAS A PROB WITH MANUAL SKILLS IN FLYING A REVISED RTE ON THE BIG SUR ARR.

Narrative: ON THE BSR ARR INTO SFO WITH FO FLYING, WE WERE GIVEN HDG TO FLY AND INTERCEPT OAK 151 DEG RADIAL AND THEN CONTINUE BSR ARR. I THEN GAVE THE FO THE RAW DATA TO FLY WHILE I FIGURED OUT HOW TO REPLICATE THE TASK USING THE FMC. SUBSEQUENTLY, WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS BOLDR AT 10000 FT. I DID NOT SET 10000 FT IN THE MCP, PROBABLY BECAUSE I WAS SATURATED TRYING TO GET THE 'BOX' CONFIGURED CORRECTLY. THE FO DID NOT CATCH MY ERROR. HE WAS DUTIFULLY INTERCEPTING THE RADIAL. JUST WHEN I NOTICED MY MISTAKE, ATC ASKED US IF WE WERE GIVEN 'BOLDR AT 10000 FT.' I SAID YES, AND WE STARTED DOWN IMMEDIATELY FROM FL240. THE XING WOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSE SO ATC GAVE US A VECTOR TO GET DOWN. THIS TYPE OF CLRNC IS BECOMING LESS AND LESS COMMON, IE, TO GO FROM GLASS TO VOR RADIALS AND RAW DATA. THEREFORE WE AS PLTS ARE LESS PROFICIENT AT DOING IT. ALSO THE AIRBUS FMC IS NOT USER FRIENDLY IN THIS AREA. I HAVE NOT DONE THIS TYPE OF RERTE OR TASK SINCE TRANSITION TRAINING 1 YR AGO! I PROBABLY STAYED HEADS DOWN MORE THAN I SHOULD HAVE TO 'SEE' IF I COULD STILL DO IT EASILY. I COULD NOT. BECAUSE I GOT TOO BUSY WITH THE BOX, I DID NOT SET THE MCP ALT. PROBABLY BECAUSE IT WAS A RARE TASK THE FO WAS BUSY FLYING THE OLD WAY OF INTERCEPTING A RADIAL AND MISSED MY ERROR. I DID IN FACT DOUBLECHK THAT HIS RAW DATA WAS CORRECT SO I COULD CONCENTRATE ON THE GLASS, BUT I NEGLECTED THE VERT MODE. THE PROB AND SOLUTION ARE TWOFOLD. AS WE BECOME MORE GEARED TO FLY 'GLASS,' THEN ATC CLRNCS SHOULD REFLECT THAT, OR SINCE WE GOT CLRNCS/RERTES LIKE THIS SO INFREQUENTLY, MAYBE THE AIRLINES SHOULD SET UP CHEAP PROCS SIMULATORS IN THE DOMICILES SO WE CAN STAY PROFICIENT AT THESE SELDOM USED RAW DATA CLRNCS. SINCE I HAVE NOT DONE THIS TYPE OF TASK SINCE TRAINING, I CONSIDER THIS A TRAINING PROB IN THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AREA.

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.