Narrative:

PF was a new hire first officer with 68 hours in aircraft type and just out of the military. We were issued 'cross bambe at 7000 ft.' we both checked our charts and noted bambe is 43 DME on TTT VOR 306 degree radial. I said 'I'm going off communication radio #1 to get dfw ATIS and to call company with in-range call.' the ATIS at dfw is very longwinded and took a while (2 mins) to copy. After talking to company, I came back to communication #1 and noticed we were at 45 DME and 7900 ft. I said to first officer 'are you going to make bambe at 7000 ft?' he said 'it's 34 DME isn't it?' he rechked his STAR chart and noticed the error. The first officer quickly accelerated his descent rate, but we crossed bambe 500 ft high. I called ATC and told them we would be high at bambe. They did not seem to care and told us to contact approach control. I believe 4 things played a role in this incident. 1) the dfw ATIS is very long and gives some non essential information -- this distracts the PNF for too long. 2) our company frequency was very busy with in-range calls, compounded by a new employee working the frequency which slowed the normal flow of information. 3) the first officer (PF) having just come from the military was not used to using commercial charts, having used government charts for the last 16 yrs. Although we agreed on the intersection DME, he might have become confused later. 4) as the captain, I should have divided my attention to monitor the arrival and the PF's progress. My failure to do this was a factor here.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF AN MDT TURBOPROP UNDERSHOT STAR XING ALT OF WHICH THE CAPT ALERTED ATC ACCORDINGLY.

Narrative: PF WAS A NEW HIRE FO WITH 68 HRS IN ACFT TYPE AND JUST OUT OF THE MIL. WE WERE ISSUED 'CROSS BAMBE AT 7000 FT.' WE BOTH CHKED OUR CHARTS AND NOTED BAMBE IS 43 DME ON TTT VOR 306 DEG RADIAL. I SAID 'I'M GOING OFF COM RADIO #1 TO GET DFW ATIS AND TO CALL COMPANY WITH IN-RANGE CALL.' THE ATIS AT DFW IS VERY LONGWINDED AND TOOK A WHILE (2 MINS) TO COPY. AFTER TALKING TO COMPANY, I CAME BACK TO COM #1 AND NOTICED WE WERE AT 45 DME AND 7900 FT. I SAID TO FO 'ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE BAMBE AT 7000 FT?' HE SAID 'IT'S 34 DME ISN'T IT?' HE RECHKED HIS STAR CHART AND NOTICED THE ERROR. THE FO QUICKLY ACCELERATED HIS DSCNT RATE, BUT WE CROSSED BAMBE 500 FT HIGH. I CALLED ATC AND TOLD THEM WE WOULD BE HIGH AT BAMBE. THEY DID NOT SEEM TO CARE AND TOLD US TO CONTACT APCH CTL. I BELIEVE 4 THINGS PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS INCIDENT. 1) THE DFW ATIS IS VERY LONG AND GIVES SOME NON ESSENTIAL INFO -- THIS DISTRACTS THE PNF FOR TOO LONG. 2) OUR COMPANY FREQ WAS VERY BUSY WITH IN-RANGE CALLS, COMPOUNDED BY A NEW EMPLOYEE WORKING THE FREQ WHICH SLOWED THE NORMAL FLOW OF INFO. 3) THE FO (PF) HAVING JUST COME FROM THE MIL WAS NOT USED TO USING COMMERCIAL CHARTS, HAVING USED GOV CHARTS FOR THE LAST 16 YRS. ALTHOUGH WE AGREED ON THE INTXN DME, HE MIGHT HAVE BECOME CONFUSED LATER. 4) AS THE CAPT, I SHOULD HAVE DIVIDED MY ATTN TO MONITOR THE ARR AND THE PF'S PROGRESS. MY FAILURE TO DO THIS WAS A FACTOR HERE.

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.