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Captain of a B737-700 undershot 2 crossing restr altitudes during descent due to attempting to program the FMC to make the dscnts automatically.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 490653 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200011 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : alb.vortac |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 21000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zbw.artcc tracon : n90.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 490653 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 13000 |
| ASRS Report | 762 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : dme other controllera other controllerb other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued alert none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On descent from 28000 ft to alb VOR from mss VOR J3 told to cross 25 north of alb at 20000 ft. I had left cockpit to use restroom and was informed of this situation when I came back, captain was flying and had put this into the FMC, so he said. Somewhere things got mixed up with FMC and we had slowed our descent to about 500 FPM when center (bos) asked if we were going to make the restr. Captain said yes and descended rapidly however we missed it by about 1000-800 ft. Called center asked about conflicts and he said no problem just let him know before this occurs. I wasn't watching carefully enough to make sure we would meet next restr. Then on V213 to sax told to cross 25 north of sax at 7000 ft. Captain tried to program this into computer and was having problems programming this in. I said to just put flosi at 7000 ft as that was 30 north of sax, and suggested we start down now. He began slow descent 800 ft and continued to work on computer. We both said we had to get it down so he gave upon the computer and descended rapidly to 7000 ft. We missed the 25 north by about 700 ft and captain again asked about conflicts. Controller said no problem. Learned 3 things. Keep flying the airplane, don't worry about computer. Watch all capts to ensure we met all restrs at appropriate time and place. After the first missed crossing I should have watched captain much more closely so as not to allow this to happen again. Do not allow amount of experience or lack of it to influence thinking. Always figure restrs for myself and see if they are close to my calculations, if not question their thinking. Suggestion also when unsure about how to put restr in FMC, first figure it out when should start down to reach altitude, then if enough time go ahead and put in FMC. Fly first.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF A B737-700 UNDERSHOT 2 XING RESTR ALTS DURING DSCNT DUE TO ATTEMPTING TO PROGRAM THE FMC TO MAKE THE DSCNTS AUTOMATICALLY.
Narrative: ON DSCNT FROM 28000 FT TO ALB VOR FROM MSS VOR J3 TOLD TO CROSS 25 N OF ALB AT 20000 FT. I HAD LEFT COCKPIT TO USE RESTROOM AND WAS INFORMED OF THIS SIT WHEN I CAME BACK, CAPT WAS FLYING AND HAD PUT THIS INTO THE FMC, SO HE SAID. SOMEWHERE THINGS GOT MIXED UP WITH FMC AND WE HAD SLOWED OUR DSCNT TO ABOUT 500 FPM WHEN CTR (BOS) ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE RESTR. CAPT SAID YES AND DSNDED RAPIDLY HOWEVER WE MISSED IT BY ABOUT 1000-800 FT. CALLED CTR ASKED ABOUT CONFLICTS AND HE SAID NO PROB JUST LET HIM KNOW BEFORE THIS OCCURS. I WASN'T WATCHING CAREFULLY ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE WE WOULD MEET NEXT RESTR. THEN ON V213 TO SAX TOLD TO CROSS 25 N OF SAX AT 7000 FT. CAPT TRIED TO PROGRAM THIS INTO COMPUTER AND WAS HAVING PROBS PROGRAMMING THIS IN. I SAID TO JUST PUT FLOSI AT 7000 FT AS THAT WAS 30 N OF SAX, AND SUGGESTED WE START DOWN NOW. HE BEGAN SLOW DSCNT 800 FT AND CONTINUED TO WORK ON COMPUTER. WE BOTH SAID WE HAD TO GET IT DOWN SO HE GAVE UPON THE COMPUTER AND DSNDED RAPIDLY TO 7000 FT. WE MISSED THE 25 N BY ABOUT 700 FT AND CAPT AGAIN ASKED ABOUT CONFLICTS. CTLR SAID NO PROB. LEARNED 3 THINGS. KEEP FLYING THE AIRPLANE, DON'T WORRY ABOUT COMPUTER. WATCH ALL CAPTS TO ENSURE WE MET ALL RESTRS AT APPROPRIATE TIME AND PLACE. AFTER THE FIRST MISSED XING I SHOULD HAVE WATCHED CAPT MUCH MORE CLOSELY SO AS NOT TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN. DO NOT ALLOW AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE OR LACK OF IT TO INFLUENCE THINKING. ALWAYS FIGURE RESTRS FOR MYSELF AND SEE IF THEY ARE CLOSE TO MY CALCULATIONS, IF NOT QUESTION THEIR THINKING. SUGGESTION ALSO WHEN UNSURE ABOUT HOW TO PUT RESTR IN FMC, FIRST FIGURE IT OUT WHEN SHOULD START DOWN TO REACH ALT, THEN IF ENOUGH TIME GO AHEAD AND PUT IN FMC. FLY FIRST.
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.