Narrative:

ZNY gave us a frequency change. At the same time a flight attendant came into the cockpit, expressing her disapproval about a previously discussed item. Before I was able to address her, she left in a huff, implying that I had taken too long. My copilot and I started to discuss this situation, then we got another frequency change. This controller took exception to my omission of our call sign, when he added a speed restr. My copilot told me he had a previous conflict with this controller the week before. The controller advised me that he didn't have 'caller identify' and then we were given a clearance to cross lrp VOR at 16000 ft. I changed the altitude on the MCP, and also put the restr in the FMC. I thought the copilot acknowledged this clearance. I was now preoccupied with the 2 conflict issues when the controller asked if we were going to make our lrp restr. We were 3 mi from lrp. I told him I thought so, and the copilot started down as fast as he could. We crossed lrp about 17500 ft, and I was given a phone number to contact ZNY after landing. We were at the end of a 9 hour flight from europe. We were both tired, and the 3RD pilot was out of the cockpit. The copilot told me he was not aware of our descent clearance until the controller queried us. I entered the altitudes, but cannot remember if he verified them. My mind was preoccupied with the conflict issues. I had forgotten about the restr, and my copilot was not aware of it, or had forgotten as well. Fatigue, conflict, and automation are all contributors to missing this clearance. Supplemental information from acn 452439: we checked on ZNY level at FL370. The controller gave us a clearance to FL200. The captain read back the clearance, and the controller verified we had clearance and the captain failed to say our call sign on the second clearance. The controller then said he did not have caller identify and the captain then had a tone in his voice of disgust as well as the controller. The cockpit crew was in the middle of changing crew members as well as the purser in the cockpit with a problem in the cabin. I was flying now and the controller gave us another clearance, to cross lancaster at 17000 ft. The captain read back the clearance and we both set the altitude for lancaster. I was thinking of last week when this same controller and another flight were into almost an argument over another clearance and how it happened to us this week. I also was thinking about how overworked or stressed out the controller must be. About the time the captain changed the altitude setting and we got a barometer disagree on EICAS well that brought me back from my daydream and wondered why he changed it when we were still at FL200. Well he saw lancaster coming up on the map and just assumed (I guess) that we were going to be at 17000 ft. Just about that time the controller asked if we were going to make the crossing. Well we did not make it and we phoned a supervisor later on this issue. We all briefed the missed altitude and I came away with these contributing factors: 1) crew rest -- I had been up since XA00 EST and had 3RD break, in the cabin. I got no sleep due to the fact the flight attendants were serving second service. 2) flight crew and controller interface was inadequate and unprofessional which distracted me from flying 'first.' 3) flight crew from not doing SOP's and backing each other up. 4) mostly for me, it is a matter of fatigue and not focusing on my job. I was entirely too tired to be there. I think we are flying too many time zones in month, not to count up to 5 atlantic xings in 1 month. All this considered it is still my responsibility for the deviation. Supplemental information from acn 451938: I was returning to the cockpit after taking a bathroom break. Copilot was flying, captain was PNF. The aircraft was descending very rapidly, airspeed 320 KTS, speed brakes fully extended. 16000 ft was set in altitude window. We were going through approximately 18000 ft. ZNY said '...say altitude.' I noticed that we had just passed lrp. Captain stated the altitude which was not 16000 ft. Then ZNY read out a phone number for us to copy. According to the captain and copilot, earlier center gave heading instructions for us and captain responded without our identify. Center said 'I don't have caller identify, useproper phraseology.' this conflict caused both pilots to be distracted. Then the crossing restr at lrp was given. Captain responded, 'set 16000 ft in window, and typed it into the FMC.' SOP requires the PF to point to the new altitude. Evidently the copilot was still looking out his window distracted by the controller's attitude and did not hear or see any change or instructions. The captain thought the copilot would comply with the restr so never said anything until too late. Both pilots were fatigued after a 9 hour flight from muc, both distracted by controller, SOP's weren't followed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 CREW DID NOT COMPLY WITH ALT XING RESTR.

Narrative: ZNY GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. AT THE SAME TIME A FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT, EXPRESSING HER DISAPPROVAL ABOUT A PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED ITEM. BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO ADDRESS HER, SHE LEFT IN A HUFF, IMPLYING THAT I HAD TAKEN TOO LONG. MY COPLT AND I STARTED TO DISCUSS THIS SIT, THEN WE GOT ANOTHER FREQ CHANGE. THIS CTLR TOOK EXCEPTION TO MY OMISSION OF OUR CALL SIGN, WHEN HE ADDED A SPD RESTR. MY COPLT TOLD ME HE HAD A PREVIOUS CONFLICT WITH THIS CTLR THE WK BEFORE. THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE 'CALLER IDENT' AND THEN WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS LRP VOR AT 16000 FT. I CHANGED THE ALT ON THE MCP, AND ALSO PUT THE RESTR IN THE FMC. I THOUGHT THE COPLT ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CLRNC. I WAS NOW PREOCCUPIED WITH THE 2 CONFLICT ISSUES WHEN THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE OUR LRP RESTR. WE WERE 3 MI FROM LRP. I TOLD HIM I THOUGHT SO, AND THE COPLT STARTED DOWN AS FAST AS HE COULD. WE CROSSED LRP ABOUT 17500 FT, AND I WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CONTACT ZNY AFTER LNDG. WE WERE AT THE END OF A 9 HR FLT FROM EUROPE. WE WERE BOTH TIRED, AND THE 3RD PLT WAS OUT OF THE COCKPIT. THE COPLT TOLD ME HE WAS NOT AWARE OF OUR DSCNT CLRNC UNTIL THE CTLR QUERIED US. I ENTERED THE ALTS, BUT CANNOT REMEMBER IF HE VERIFIED THEM. MY MIND WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH THE CONFLICT ISSUES. I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE RESTR, AND MY COPLT WAS NOT AWARE OF IT, OR HAD FORGOTTEN AS WELL. FATIGUE, CONFLICT, AND AUTOMATION ARE ALL CONTRIBUTORS TO MISSING THIS CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 452439: WE CHKED ON ZNY LEVEL AT FL370. THE CTLR GAVE US A CLRNC TO FL200. THE CAPT READ BACK THE CLRNC, AND THE CTLR VERIFIED WE HAD CLRNC AND THE CAPT FAILED TO SAY OUR CALL SIGN ON THE SECOND CLRNC. THE CTLR THEN SAID HE DID NOT HAVE CALLER IDENT AND THE CAPT THEN HAD A TONE IN HIS VOICE OF DISGUST AS WELL AS THE CTLR. THE COCKPIT CREW WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF CHANGING CREW MEMBERS AS WELL AS THE PURSER IN THE COCKPIT WITH A PROB IN THE CABIN. I WAS FLYING NOW AND THE CTLR GAVE US ANOTHER CLRNC, TO CROSS LANCASTER AT 17000 FT. THE CAPT READ BACK THE CLRNC AND WE BOTH SET THE ALT FOR LANCASTER. I WAS THINKING OF LAST WK WHEN THIS SAME CTLR AND ANOTHER FLT WERE INTO ALMOST AN ARGUMENT OVER ANOTHER CLRNC AND HOW IT HAPPENED TO US THIS WK. I ALSO WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW OVERWORKED OR STRESSED OUT THE CTLR MUST BE. ABOUT THE TIME THE CAPT CHANGED THE ALT SETTING AND WE GOT A BAROMETER DISAGREE ON EICAS WELL THAT BROUGHT ME BACK FROM MY DAYDREAM AND WONDERED WHY HE CHANGED IT WHEN WE WERE STILL AT FL200. WELL HE SAW LANCASTER COMING UP ON THE MAP AND JUST ASSUMED (I GUESS) THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE AT 17000 FT. JUST ABOUT THAT TIME THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE XING. WELL WE DID NOT MAKE IT AND WE PHONED A SUPVR LATER ON THIS ISSUE. WE ALL BRIEFED THE MISSED ALT AND I CAME AWAY WITH THESE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) CREW REST -- I HAD BEEN UP SINCE XA00 EST AND HAD 3RD BREAK, IN THE CABIN. I GOT NO SLEEP DUE TO THE FACT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SERVING SECOND SERVICE. 2) FLC AND CTLR INTERFACE WAS INADEQUATE AND UNPROFESSIONAL WHICH DISTRACTED ME FROM FLYING 'FIRST.' 3) FLC FROM NOT DOING SOP'S AND BACKING EACH OTHER UP. 4) MOSTLY FOR ME, IT IS A MATTER OF FATIGUE AND NOT FOCUSING ON MY JOB. I WAS ENTIRELY TOO TIRED TO BE THERE. I THINK WE ARE FLYING TOO MANY TIME ZONES IN MONTH, NOT TO COUNT UP TO 5 ATLANTIC XINGS IN 1 MONTH. ALL THIS CONSIDERED IT IS STILL MY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEV. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 451938: I WAS RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT AFTER TAKING A BATHROOM BREAK. COPLT WAS FLYING, CAPT WAS PNF. THE ACFT WAS DSNDING VERY RAPIDLY, AIRSPD 320 KTS, SPD BRAKES FULLY EXTENDED. 16000 FT WAS SET IN ALT WINDOW. WE WERE GOING THROUGH APPROX 18000 FT. ZNY SAID '...SAY ALT.' I NOTICED THAT WE HAD JUST PASSED LRP. CAPT STATED THE ALT WHICH WAS NOT 16000 FT. THEN ZNY READ OUT A PHONE NUMBER FOR US TO COPY. ACCORDING TO THE CAPT AND COPLT, EARLIER CTR GAVE HEADING INSTRUCTIONS FOR US AND CAPT RESPONDED WITHOUT OUR IDENT. CTR SAID 'I DON'T HAVE CALLER IDENT, USEPROPER PHRASEOLOGY.' THIS CONFLICT CAUSED BOTH PLTS TO BE DISTRACTED. THEN THE XING RESTR AT LRP WAS GIVEN. CAPT RESPONDED, 'SET 16000 FT IN WINDOW, AND TYPED IT INTO THE FMC.' SOP REQUIRES THE PF TO POINT TO THE NEW ALT. EVIDENTLY THE COPLT WAS STILL LOOKING OUT HIS WINDOW DISTRACTED BY THE CTLR'S ATTITUDE AND DID NOT HEAR OR SEE ANY CHANGE OR INSTRUCTIONS. THE CAPT THOUGHT THE COPLT WOULD COMPLY WITH THE RESTR SO NEVER SAID ANYTHING UNTIL TOO LATE. BOTH PLTS WERE FATIGUED AFTER A 9 HR FLT FROM MUC, BOTH DISTRACTED BY CTLR, SOP'S WEREN'T FOLLOWED.

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.