Narrative:

On feb/xa/99 I was getting ready for the last leg of the day, phx to den. I loaded up the FMC and put in the restr and the runway I expected to use. The takeoff and subsequent flight to the arrival were uneventful. ZDV gave us the standard restr at larks, 250 KTS at 17000 ft. I looked down to verify the numbers were there, which they were. As we approached the top of descent, the first officer handed me the landing data card with the current ATIS information, which indicated a different runway than I had previously selected. After briefing the approach I started to reprogram the FMC. When I finished I looked at our altitude (we hadn't started down yet) then checked the map display. We were on top of larks. At this time center called and wanted to know if we were going to make the restr. I said no and center gave us a number to call. We missed larks by almost 20000 ft. What had happened was when I put the larks restr in the FMC while on the ground at phx, I line selected the fix after larks (huuge). ZDV was very patient and understanding. Since it was late at night and there was no conflicting traffic, this potentially career damaging event turned into a 'no harm, no foul' situation. There is no excuse for this, I simply had my head up and locked. That having been said, I have given a lot of thought as to why my head was up and locked. I feel the answer is fatigue. I had flown a 3 day, followed by a 2 day, then 2 days off, then a 3 day with 2 days off then a 2 day getting back at early morning with a report time of XA00 for the above 3 day trip. The other 2 and 3 day trips were late arrs also. I knew I was tired, I just didn't realize how tired I was. Supplemental information from acn 428423: ATC clears us to cross larks at 17000 ft and 250 KIAS. I radio responded and ensured that the captain put 17000 ft in the MCP altitude window and confirmed 250 KIAS with him. I then tell the captain that I am going off radio #1 to get arrival ATIS (as part of airline policy for copilot/PNF duties) and call den operations with our arrival notification on radio #2. Captain acknowledges and continues to fly the aircraft and talk with ATC. I am not and cannot monitor his transmission with ATC. I collect the ATIS data, and in the process inform the captain that they are using runway 26 and the winds are gusting to 36 KTS. He begins reprogramming runway 26 into the FMC. I am still collecting ATIS information when it changes to a new ATIS and I proceed to recopy this. I inform the captain they are using runway 26 and the winds are now only 13 KTS. I finish with the second ATIS and then began computing the landing data, still off radio #1. Captain is with ATC and flying the airplane. Still off radio #1, I complete the data card and show the captain the card. Still off radio #1, I call den operations and inform them of our arrival and copy their information to us, during which I notice the aircraft has started a descent. I finish with operations and return to radio #1, and tell the captain 'I'm back on.' I then ask 'did you tell ATC of our descent?' he replies 'no.' so I inform ATC that we are out of FL290. I then tell the captain that I'm off radio #1 again, and I made my announcement to cabin and crew of our arrival. I then return to radio #1 and tell the captain that I'm back on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CREW MISSES THE ALT XING RESTR BY 20000 FT AT LARKS INTXN ON FLT TO DEN, CO.

Narrative: ON FEB/XA/99 I WAS GETTING READY FOR THE LAST LEG OF THE DAY, PHX TO DEN. I LOADED UP THE FMC AND PUT IN THE RESTR AND THE RWY I EXPECTED TO USE. THE TKOF AND SUBSEQUENT FLT TO THE ARR WERE UNEVENTFUL. ZDV GAVE US THE STANDARD RESTR AT LARKS, 250 KTS AT 17000 FT. I LOOKED DOWN TO VERIFY THE NUMBERS WERE THERE, WHICH THEY WERE. AS WE APCHED THE TOP OF DSCNT, THE FO HANDED ME THE LNDG DATA CARD WITH THE CURRENT ATIS INFO, WHICH INDICATED A DIFFERENT RWY THAN I HAD PREVIOUSLY SELECTED. AFTER BRIEFING THE APCH I STARTED TO REPROGRAM THE FMC. WHEN I FINISHED I LOOKED AT OUR ALT (WE HADN'T STARTED DOWN YET) THEN CHKED THE MAP DISPLAY. WE WERE ON TOP OF LARKS. AT THIS TIME CTR CALLED AND WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE RESTR. I SAID NO AND CTR GAVE US A NUMBER TO CALL. WE MISSED LARKS BY ALMOST 20000 FT. WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS WHEN I PUT THE LARKS RESTR IN THE FMC WHILE ON THE GND AT PHX, I LINE SELECTED THE FIX AFTER LARKS (HUUGE). ZDV WAS VERY PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING. SINCE IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AND THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING TFC, THIS POTENTIALLY CAREER DAMAGING EVENT TURNED INTO A 'NO HARM, NO FOUL' SIT. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS, I SIMPLY HAD MY HEAD UP AND LOCKED. THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, I HAVE GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGHT AS TO WHY MY HEAD WAS UP AND LOCKED. I FEEL THE ANSWER IS FATIGUE. I HAD FLOWN A 3 DAY, FOLLOWED BY A 2 DAY, THEN 2 DAYS OFF, THEN A 3 DAY WITH 2 DAYS OFF THEN A 2 DAY GETTING BACK AT EARLY MORNING WITH A RPT TIME OF XA00 FOR THE ABOVE 3 DAY TRIP. THE OTHER 2 AND 3 DAY TRIPS WERE LATE ARRS ALSO. I KNEW I WAS TIRED, I JUST DIDN'T REALIZE HOW TIRED I WAS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 428423: ATC CLRS US TO CROSS LARKS AT 17000 FT AND 250 KIAS. I RADIO RESPONDED AND ENSURED THAT THE CAPT PUT 17000 FT IN THE MCP ALT WINDOW AND CONFIRMED 250 KIAS WITH HIM. I THEN TELL THE CAPT THAT I AM GOING OFF RADIO #1 TO GET ARR ATIS (AS PART OF AIRLINE POLICY FOR COPLT/PNF DUTIES) AND CALL DEN OPS WITH OUR ARR NOTIFICATION ON RADIO #2. CAPT ACKNOWLEDGES AND CONTINUES TO FLY THE ACFT AND TALK WITH ATC. I AM NOT AND CANNOT MONITOR HIS XMISSION WITH ATC. I COLLECT THE ATIS DATA, AND IN THE PROCESS INFORM THE CAPT THAT THEY ARE USING RWY 26 AND THE WINDS ARE GUSTING TO 36 KTS. HE BEGINS REPROGRAMMING RWY 26 INTO THE FMC. I AM STILL COLLECTING ATIS INFO WHEN IT CHANGES TO A NEW ATIS AND I PROCEED TO RECOPY THIS. I INFORM THE CAPT THEY ARE USING RWY 26 AND THE WINDS ARE NOW ONLY 13 KTS. I FINISH WITH THE SECOND ATIS AND THEN BEGAN COMPUTING THE LNDG DATA, STILL OFF RADIO #1. CAPT IS WITH ATC AND FLYING THE AIRPLANE. STILL OFF RADIO #1, I COMPLETE THE DATA CARD AND SHOW THE CAPT THE CARD. STILL OFF RADIO #1, I CALL DEN OPS AND INFORM THEM OF OUR ARR AND COPY THEIR INFO TO US, DURING WHICH I NOTICE THE ACFT HAS STARTED A DSCNT. I FINISH WITH OPS AND RETURN TO RADIO #1, AND TELL THE CAPT 'I'M BACK ON.' I THEN ASK 'DID YOU TELL ATC OF OUR DSCNT?' HE REPLIES 'NO.' SO I INFORM ATC THAT WE ARE OUT OF FL290. I THEN TELL THE CAPT THAT I'M OFF RADIO #1 AGAIN, AND I MADE MY ANNOUNCEMENT TO CABIN AND CREW OF OUR ARR. I THEN RETURN TO RADIO #1 AND TELL THE CAPT THAT I'M BACK ON.

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.