Narrative:

While I was off on communication #2 calling inbound to station at mht, ATC told my first officer, PF, to expect to cross 35 NM west mht at 11000 ft. We were only previously cleared to descend to 13000 ft. After I returned to communication #1, ATC gave the clearance with crossing restr and handed us off to mht approach control. I read back clearance, then realized we were too close to make crossing. Told ATC (center) unable to meet crossing restr but we'd do best we could. Center responded angrily that basically, we should've been able, since he told us to expect it. Fact is, I didn't hear the 'expect' clearance, and my first officer didn't update me with the information, therefore I was unable to back him up to make sure we would be in good position to accept/meet such a restr when it was finally given. It was late at night at the end of a long day of rough WX, IFR approachs, etc, and by then, we were feeling pretty beat up by our day. I apologized to center after his chastisement, and we pressed on with the rest of the flight, feeling beat up even more. This illustrates the need, especially when at the end of a long day, to update each other completely when pilots split up on separate radios, then return. It's the only way to have a chance of one pilot backing the other one up prior to an error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CREW WAS UNABLE TO MEET A XING RESTR ISSUED IN ZBW CLASS E.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS OFF ON COM #2 CALLING INBOUND TO STATION AT MHT, ATC TOLD MY FO, PF, TO EXPECT TO CROSS 35 NM W MHT AT 11000 FT. WE WERE ONLY PREVIOUSLY CLRED TO DSND TO 13000 FT. AFTER I RETURNED TO COM #1, ATC GAVE THE CLRNC WITH XING RESTR AND HANDED US OFF TO MHT APCH CTL. I READ BACK CLRNC, THEN REALIZED WE WERE TOO CLOSE TO MAKE XING. TOLD ATC (CTR) UNABLE TO MEET XING RESTR BUT WE'D DO BEST WE COULD. CTR RESPONDED ANGRILY THAT BASICALLY, WE SHOULD'VE BEEN ABLE, SINCE HE TOLD US TO EXPECT IT. FACT IS, I DIDN'T HEAR THE 'EXPECT' CLRNC, AND MY FO DIDN'T UPDATE ME WITH THE INFO, THEREFORE I WAS UNABLE TO BACK HIM UP TO MAKE SURE WE WOULD BE IN GOOD POS TO ACCEPT/MEET SUCH A RESTR WHEN IT WAS FINALLY GIVEN. IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT AT THE END OF A LONG DAY OF ROUGH WX, IFR APCHS, ETC, AND BY THEN, WE WERE FEELING PRETTY BEAT UP BY OUR DAY. I APOLOGIZED TO CTR AFTER HIS CHASTISEMENT, AND WE PRESSED ON WITH THE REST OF THE FLT, FEELING BEAT UP EVEN MORE. THIS ILLUSTRATES THE NEED, ESPECIALLY WHEN AT THE END OF A LONG DAY, TO UPDATE EACH OTHER COMPLETELY WHEN PLTS SPLIT UP ON SEPARATE RADIOS, THEN RETURN. IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE A CHANCE OF ONE PLT BACKING THE OTHER ONE UP PRIOR TO AN ERROR.

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.