Narrative:

Had been re-qualified on the airplane including FMS for navigation, however, the aircraft on this flight had the FMS deferred. We were navigating using VOR raw data, something of a challenge in itself, made even more so given the recent return to flying after such a long layoff. On this flight from XXX to mew at FL230, we had been on an off-course vector when center cleared us direct cgt, cross 45 mi southeast of cgt at 1000 ft. After I got set up to go direct, it took me a min to figure what it would take to make the crossing and I realized that I needed to start down immediately! Trying our best at 3500-4000 FPM descent, I could see we weren't going to make the restr, and told ATC at 63 DME from cgt, about 8 mi prior to the crossing point, that we would be unable to make the crossing. All the controller did was hand us off to another controller, without any other response or amended clearance, such as 'do the best you can,' or 'turn right 30 degrees,' etc. No apparent traffic conflict occurred. At the specified crossing point, we were descending through 14000 ft, about 3000 ft high. I think the real cause of this error was a lack of situational awareness, due to my lack of recent experience in navigating solely with VOR raw data, without the useful VNAV features of the FMS to help with descent management. Contributing to the error was ATC's rather late timing of an unpublished crossing clearance, something that I would not have accepted in the first place had I realized how tight it would be to make the restr. Since we had been transitioning to the boiler 2 arrival to mdw prior to the off-course vector, we planned for the published crossing at cgt, and were caught somewhat off guard by the controller's rapid-fire unpublished clearance. We get so used to having the advisory VNAV information from the FMS on every flight, that in rare cases when it's not available, it can make for a higher workload if operating into/out of busier, faster paced airports/air traffic regions. We have to be better prepared, thinking farther ahead, to maintain better situational awareness so as not to be caught off guard.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 FLT CREW WITH A DEFERRED FMS IS UNABLE TO MEET AN ASSIGNED XING RESTR.

Narrative: HAD BEEN RE-QUALIFIED ON THE AIRPLANE INCLUDING FMS FOR NAV, HOWEVER, THE ACFT ON THIS FLT HAD THE FMS DEFERRED. WE WERE NAVING USING VOR RAW DATA, SOMETHING OF A CHALLENGE IN ITSELF, MADE EVEN MORE SO GIVEN THE RECENT RETURN TO FLYING AFTER SUCH A LONG LAYOFF. ON THIS FLT FROM XXX TO MEW AT FL230, WE HAD BEEN ON AN OFF-COURSE VECTOR WHEN CTR CLRED US DIRECT CGT, CROSS 45 MI SE OF CGT AT 1000 FT. AFTER I GOT SET UP TO GO DIRECT, IT TOOK ME A MIN TO FIGURE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO MAKE THE XING AND I REALIZED THAT I NEEDED TO START DOWN IMMEDIATELY! TRYING OUR BEST AT 3500-4000 FPM DSCNT, I COULD SEE WE WEREN'T GOING TO MAKE THE RESTR, AND TOLD ATC AT 63 DME FROM CGT, ABOUT 8 MI PRIOR TO THE XING POINT, THAT WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE THE XING. ALL THE CTLR DID WAS HAND US OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR, WITHOUT ANY OTHER RESPONSE OR AMENDED CLRNC, SUCH AS 'DO THE BEST YOU CAN,' OR 'TURN R 30 DEGS,' ETC. NO APPARENT TFC CONFLICT OCCURRED. AT THE SPECIFIED XING POINT, WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 14000 FT, ABOUT 3000 FT HIGH. I THINK THE REAL CAUSE OF THIS ERROR WAS A LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, DUE TO MY LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN NAVING SOLELY WITH VOR RAW DATA, WITHOUT THE USEFUL VNAV FEATURES OF THE FMS TO HELP WITH DSCNT MGMNT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ERROR WAS ATC'S RATHER LATE TIMING OF AN UNPUBLISHED XING CLRNC, SOMETHING THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED IN THE FIRST PLACE HAD I REALIZED HOW TIGHT IT WOULD BE TO MAKE THE RESTR. SINCE WE HAD BEEN TRANSITIONING TO THE BOILER 2 ARR TO MDW PRIOR TO THE OFF-COURSE VECTOR, WE PLANNED FOR THE PUBLISHED XING AT CGT, AND WERE CAUGHT SOMEWHAT OFF GUARD BY THE CTLR'S RAPID-FIRE UNPUBLISHED CLRNC. WE GET SO USED TO HAVING THE ADVISORY VNAV INFO FROM THE FMS ON EVERY FLT, THAT IN RARE CASES WHEN IT'S NOT AVAILABLE, IT CAN MAKE FOR A HIGHER WORKLOAD IF OPERATING INTO/OUT OF BUSIER, FASTER PACED ARPTS/AIR TFC REGIONS. WE HAVE TO BE BETTER PREPARED, THINKING FARTHER AHEAD, TO MAINTAIN BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS SO AS NOT TO BE CAUGHT OFF GUARD.

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.