Flight crew of a B727 failed to make altitude crossing restr during arrival descent resulting in ART...

Attributes
ACN	424470
Time
Date	199812
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : slc
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 18300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : zlc
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1235
ASRS Report	424470
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft was assigned a clearance to cross 50 DME south of slc at 17000 ft. Descent was initiated from FL280. At 42 DME south of slc, passing 17300 ft, crew was queried by ATC about current altitude. Estimate that aircraft crossed 50 DME south at approximately FL183. Although the descent was initiated with sufficient time/distance to reach 17000 ft at 50 DME, the following intervening circumstances are cited as points that distraction the crew: 1) flight was 2 1/2 hours behind schedule. Delay had been caused by a maintenance discrepancy in tucson, a non maintenance station, which required cancellation of a revenue flight and subsequent redispatch as a maintenance ferry flight to slc. Discrepancy required briefing flap malfunction contingencies for the approach as well as coordinating with crew members in the cabin as to aircraft confign and unidented sounds under cabin flooring possibly related to flap setting. This was discussed during the descent. 2) standard approach brief required detailed discussion of descent into mountainous terrain.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B727 FAILED TO MAKE ALT XING RESTR DURING ARR DSCNT RESULTING IN ARTCC CTLR INTERVENTION TO REMIND THEM THAT THEY HAD NOT COMPLIED WITH THEIR CLRNC.

Narrative: ACFT WAS ASSIGNED A CLRNC TO CROSS 50 DME S OF SLC AT 17000 FT. DSCNT WAS INITIATED FROM FL280. AT 42 DME S OF SLC, PASSING 17300 FT, CREW WAS QUERIED BY ATC ABOUT CURRENT ALT. ESTIMATE THAT ACFT CROSSED 50 DME S AT APPROX FL183. ALTHOUGH THE DSCNT WAS INITIATED WITH SUFFICIENT TIME/DISTANCE TO REACH 17000 FT AT 50 DME, THE FOLLOWING INTERVENING CIRCUMSTANCES ARE CITED AS POINTS THAT DISTR THE CREW: 1) FLT WAS 2 1/2 HRS BEHIND SCHEDULE. DELAY HAD BEEN CAUSED BY A MAINT DISCREPANCY IN TUCSON, A NON MAINT STATION, WHICH REQUIRED CANCELLATION OF A REVENUE FLT AND SUBSEQUENT REDISPATCH AS A MAINT FERRY FLT TO SLC. DISCREPANCY REQUIRED BRIEFING FLAP MALFUNCTION CONTINGENCIES FOR THE APCH AS WELL AS COORDINATING WITH CREW MEMBERS IN THE CABIN AS TO ACFT CONFIGN AND UNIDENTED SOUNDS UNDER CABIN FLOORING POSSIBLY RELATED TO FLAP SETTING. THIS WAS DISCUSSED DURING THE DSCNT. 2) STANDARD APCH BRIEF REQUIRED DETAILED DISCUSSION OF DSCNT INTO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

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.

Flight crew of a B727 failed to make altitude crossing restr during arrival descent resulting in ARTCC controller intervention to remind them that they had not complied with their clearance.