A B737-300 crew did not comply with a crossing restr issued by ATC on descent into hou.

Attributes
ACN	497303
Time
Date	200101
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : hoagi
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : i90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : ns
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	497303
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 7800
ASRS Report	497080
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On flight from ont to iah prior to descent into iah, I left the cockpit to use the lavatory. While in the back, noticed that the aircraft started to descend. I returned to the cockpit and when I took over, ATC gave us a crossing restr at hoagi of 10000 ft and 250 KTS, which was in the FMC. However, the captain ahd the aircraft in a cruise descent, so when I selected a path descent the FMC promptly informed me we were 5000 ft high. I elected to use the FGS to try and catch up. However, with tailwinds it became obvious that this was not going to work. I asked the captain to inform at that we could not make the restr. He instead asked me to use level change instead of vertical speed. I tried this and the aircraft ended up in an overspd situation and we disengaged the autoplt to regain control. The captain told ATC that we could make the altitude, but not the airspeed. I informed him that I did not think that was possible, but radio congestion and ground speed did not help and we ended up high. There was no conflict with other aircraft and ATC did not question the situation. I believe that contributing factor was the fact that I left the cockpit at a critical time and that the captain put the aircraft in a cruise descent instead of capture. And I do not believe CRM worked in this situation. Looking back, if the captain had informed ATC as requested and we had talked about it later being that time was critical and this would have been the safest and most conservative thing to do, a possible conflict would have been avoided. Supplemental information from acn 497080: first officer was flying when ATC cleared crew to cross hoagi intersection at 10000 ft. FMC went to VNAV speed versus VNAV path and aircraft was 2000 ft high at hoagi. ATC said to delete the 250 speed restr and to try to make hoagi at 10000 ft. Altitude at hoagi was approximately 12000 ft MSL. PNF (captain) was making in-range call to company, passenger arrival PA, and accomplishing in-range call during descent and was not monitoring vertical path.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CREW DID NOT COMPLY WITH A XING RESTR ISSUED BY ATC ON DSCNT INTO HOU.

Narrative: ON FLT FROM ONT TO IAH PRIOR TO DSCNT INTO IAH, I LEFT THE COCKPIT TO USE THE LAVATORY. WHILE IN THE BACK, NOTICED THAT THE ACFT STARTED TO DSND. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND WHEN I TOOK OVER, ATC GAVE US A XING RESTR AT HOAGI OF 10000 FT AND 250 KTS, WHICH WAS IN THE FMC. HOWEVER, THE CAPT AHD THE ACFT IN A CRUISE DSCNT, SO WHEN I SELECTED A PATH DSCNT THE FMC PROMPTLY INFORMED ME WE WERE 5000 FT HIGH. I ELECTED TO USE THE FGS TO TRY AND CATCH UP. HOWEVER, WITH TAILWINDS IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THIS WAS NOT GOING TO WORK. I ASKED THE CAPT TO INFORM AT THAT WE COULD NOT MAKE THE RESTR. HE INSTEAD ASKED ME TO USE LEVEL CHANGE INSTEAD OF VERT SPD. I TRIED THIS AND THE ACFT ENDED UP IN AN OVERSPD SIT AND WE DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT TO REGAIN CTL. THE CAPT TOLD ATC THAT WE COULD MAKE THE ALT, BUT NOT THE AIRSPD. I INFORMED HIM THAT I DID NOT THINK THAT WAS POSSIBLE, BUT RADIO CONGESTION AND GND SPD DID NOT HELP AND WE ENDED UP HIGH. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT AND ATC DID NOT QUESTION THE SIT. I BELIEVE THAT CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE FACT THAT I LEFT THE COCKPIT AT A CRITICAL TIME AND THAT THE CAPT PUT THE ACFT IN A CRUISE DSCNT INSTEAD OF CAPTURE. AND I DO NOT BELIEVE CRM WORKED IN THIS SIT. LOOKING BACK, IF THE CAPT HAD INFORMED ATC AS REQUESTED AND WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IT LATER BEING THAT TIME WAS CRITICAL AND THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAFEST AND MOST CONSERVATIVE THING TO DO, A POSSIBLE CONFLICT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 497080: FO WAS FLYING WHEN ATC CLRED CREW TO CROSS HOAGI INTXN AT 10000 FT. FMC WENT TO VNAV SPD VERSUS VNAV PATH AND ACFT WAS 2000 FT HIGH AT HOAGI. ATC SAID TO DELETE THE 250 SPD RESTR AND TO TRY TO MAKE HOAGI AT 10000 FT. ALT AT HOAGI WAS APPROX 12000 FT MSL. PNF (CAPT) WAS MAKING IN-RANGE CALL TO COMPANY, PAX ARR PA, AND ACCOMPLISHING IN-RANGE CALL DURING DSCNT AND WAS NOT MONITORING VERT PATH.

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.