Narrative:

Our clearance was to cross quail intersection at 17000 ft at 250 KTS. First officer was flying, and had programmed the FMC to cross quail intersection as instructed. However, when he put it on the legs page, he put it in backwards, that is, FL250 at 170 KTS. The FMC showed it as 170/250. At first glance it looked ok, but we soon realized the aircraft wasn't starting down when we expected, and was going to be close at quail intersection. As we approached the intersection and it became obvious that we weren't going to quite make it, ZDV handed us off to den approach and I advised them that we were going to be a bit late at quail intersection. They made no remark to this and cleared us to 13000 ft. We missed quail by about 1000 ft and 30 KTS. We slowed to 250 KTS and continued to 13000 ft. No known conflicts were created. A back-up descent point arrived at with another method is the norm, however, we got busy and neither one of us noticed the error until it was too late. The first officer had 2 months in type. I have 600 hours in the 500 series type aircraft and 6000 hours in type.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO MISSED PROGRAMMED FMC OF A B737-500 DURING DSCNT CAUSING AN UNDERSHOOTING XING ALT.

Narrative: OUR CLRNC WAS TO CROSS QUAIL INTXN AT 17000 FT AT 250 KTS. FO WAS FLYING, AND HAD PROGRAMMED THE FMC TO CROSS QUAIL INTXN AS INSTRUCTED. HOWEVER, WHEN HE PUT IT ON THE LEGS PAGE, HE PUT IT IN BACKWARDS, THAT IS, FL250 AT 170 KTS. THE FMC SHOWED IT AS 170/250. AT FIRST GLANCE IT LOOKED OK, BUT WE SOON REALIZED THE ACFT WASN'T STARTING DOWN WHEN WE EXPECTED, AND WAS GOING TO BE CLOSE AT QUAIL INTXN. AS WE APCHED THE INTXN AND IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO QUITE MAKE IT, ZDV HANDED US OFF TO DEN APCH AND I ADVISED THEM THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE A BIT LATE AT QUAIL INTXN. THEY MADE NO REMARK TO THIS AND CLRED US TO 13000 FT. WE MISSED QUAIL BY ABOUT 1000 FT AND 30 KTS. WE SLOWED TO 250 KTS AND CONTINUED TO 13000 FT. NO KNOWN CONFLICTS WERE CREATED. A BACK-UP DSCNT POINT ARRIVED AT WITH ANOTHER METHOD IS THE NORM, HOWEVER, WE GOT BUSY AND NEITHER ONE OF US NOTICED THE ERROR UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE. THE FO HAD 2 MONTHS IN TYPE. I HAVE 600 HRS IN THE 500 SERIES TYPE ACFT AND 6000 HRS IN TYPE.

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.