Narrative:

After crossing psk (pulaski) at FL200, we were cleared direct roa, and instructed to cross 30 NM southeast of roa at 9000 ft. My first officer was flying, and using the autoplt, initiated a 1000 FPM descent. He then attempted to program the crossing restr into the FMS, and asked for assistance. I became engrossed in explaining and walking my first officer through the procedure for enabling the VNAV to give us the crossing restr. I then saw that my first officer hadn't entered the approach into the FMS correctly as well. I became fixated on the FMS and failed to monitor our current position. ATC queried us if we were going to be able to make the restr and then I saw that we only had descended 2000 ft instead of the 11000 ft needed. I initiated a 4000 FPM descent in an attempt to make the fix, but was only able to get down to 13000 ft MSL by the roa 30 DME fix. In retrospect, I realize that both my first officer and I were distracted by the FMS and failed to maintain situational awareness, leading to the altitude deviation. Contributing to this was my first officer's lack of familiarity with the FMS and both of our failures to compute the restr mentally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A XING RESTR IS MISSED WHILE THE CAPT ATTEMPTS TO TRAIN THE FO ON PROGRAMMING THE FMS TO BE USED FOR COMPLIANCE WITH XING RESTRS. WHEN QUESTIONED BY ATC ABOUT THEIR CAPABILITY TO COMPLY WITH THE RESTR THE EFFORT THAT WAS MADE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL.

Narrative: AFTER XING PSK (PULASKI) AT FL200, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT ROA, AND INSTRUCTED TO CROSS 30 NM SE OF ROA AT 9000 FT. MY FO WAS FLYING, AND USING THE AUTOPLT, INITIATED A 1000 FPM DSCNT. HE THEN ATTEMPTED TO PROGRAM THE XING RESTR INTO THE FMS, AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE. I BECAME ENGROSSED IN EXPLAINING AND WALKING MY FO THROUGH THE PROC FOR ENABLING THE VNAV TO GIVE US THE XING RESTR. I THEN SAW THAT MY FO HADN'T ENTERED THE APCH INTO THE FMS CORRECTLY AS WELL. I BECAME FIXATED ON THE FMS AND FAILED TO MONITOR OUR CURRENT POS. ATC QUERIED US IF WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE RESTR AND THEN I SAW THAT WE ONLY HAD DSNDED 2000 FT INSTEAD OF THE 11000 FT NEEDED. I INITIATED A 4000 FPM DSCNT IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE FIX, BUT WAS ONLY ABLE TO GET DOWN TO 13000 FT MSL BY THE ROA 30 DME FIX. IN RETROSPECT, I REALIZE THAT BOTH MY FO AND I WERE DISTRACTED BY THE FMS AND FAILED TO MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, LEADING TO THE ALTDEV. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS WAS MY FO'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE FMS AND BOTH OF OUR FAILURES TO COMPUTE THE RESTR MENTALLY.

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.