Narrative:

We were flying the bunts 1 arrival into phl. My first officer (of 14 yrs service) was flying the aircraft. ATC had been 'stepping us down' and had waited until the last moment to issue us a clearance to finally 'cross 35 NM wnw of lrp VOR at 17000 ft MSL.' my first officer began to put the restr into the FMC. I had immediately put lrp into the fix page of the FMC, and told my first officer that we needed to start down immediately. He was slow to start the aircraft down (on autoplt), and his rate of descent was insufficient to capture the profile, so I tactfully called out 'distance to go' to the restr, and the 'altitude to lose,' beginning with 15 mi from the fix, descending out of FL230, high on profile. After my second set of callouts, my first officer made the comment, 'are you getting nervous?' (well, yes I was -- I didn't particularly want to bust a restr or incur a violation). Shortly thereafter, ATC gave us a center frequency change. When I checked on with the new center frequency, I advised the controller that we would not make the restr, as we were leaving FL180 for 17000 ft, and 1.5 mi from the restr (west) fix. The controller indicated that 'it was no problem,' as he gave us a slight vector. My first officer finally confessed that he 'was a bit high.' no retraction of his comment about being nervous, though. This, however, points to an ever increasing safety threat and that is 'automation complacency delay' and airline training programs, like the airbus training program, promote almost total autoplt use, with 'negative' re-enforcement if a pilot attempts to resort to conventional flying skills, which I believe strongly contribute to maintaining a wider range of situational awareness, in a broad spectrum of flight envelope environments, regular, conventional hand flying skills, within standardized procedures, should be fine-tuned in the simulator and their practice, encouraged on the line. P.south. CRM is a good tool. But I should have 'taken the airplane' and made the restr, even with a 14 yr veteran first officer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B752 CREW IN DSCNT WERE HIGH AT AN ASSIGNED XING RESTR.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING THE BUNTS 1 ARR INTO PHL. MY FO (OF 14 YRS SVC) WAS FLYING THE ACFT. ATC HAD BEEN 'STEPPING US DOWN' AND HAD WAITED UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT TO ISSUE US A CLRNC TO FINALLY 'CROSS 35 NM WNW OF LRP VOR AT 17000 FT MSL.' MY FO BEGAN TO PUT THE RESTR INTO THE FMC. I HAD IMMEDIATELY PUT LRP INTO THE FIX PAGE OF THE FMC, AND TOLD MY FO THAT WE NEEDED TO START DOWN IMMEDIATELY. HE WAS SLOW TO START THE ACFT DOWN (ON AUTOPLT), AND HIS RATE OF DSCNT WAS INSUFFICIENT TO CAPTURE THE PROFILE, SO I TACTFULLY CALLED OUT 'DISTANCE TO GO' TO THE RESTR, AND THE 'ALT TO LOSE,' BEGINNING WITH 15 MI FROM THE FIX, DSNDING OUT OF FL230, HIGH ON PROFILE. AFTER MY SECOND SET OF CALLOUTS, MY FO MADE THE COMMENT, 'ARE YOU GETTING NERVOUS?' (WELL, YES I WAS -- I DIDN'T PARTICULARLY WANT TO BUST A RESTR OR INCUR A VIOLATION). SHORTLY THEREAFTER, ATC GAVE US A CTR FREQ CHANGE. WHEN I CHKED ON WITH THE NEW CTR FREQ, I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE WOULD NOT MAKE THE RESTR, AS WE WERE LEAVING FL180 FOR 17000 FT, AND 1.5 MI FROM THE RESTR (W) FIX. THE CTLR INDICATED THAT 'IT WAS NO PROB,' AS HE GAVE US A SLIGHT VECTOR. MY FO FINALLY CONFESSED THAT HE 'WAS A BIT HIGH.' NO RETRACTION OF HIS COMMENT ABOUT BEING NERVOUS, THOUGH. THIS, HOWEVER, POINTS TO AN EVER INCREASING SAFETY THREAT AND THAT IS 'AUTOMATION COMPLACENCY DELAY' AND AIRLINE TRAINING PROGRAMS, LIKE THE AIRBUS TRAINING PROGRAM, PROMOTE ALMOST TOTAL AUTOPLT USE, WITH 'NEGATIVE' RE-ENFORCEMENT IF A PLT ATTEMPTS TO RESORT TO CONVENTIONAL FLYING SKILLS, WHICH I BELIEVE STRONGLY CONTRIBUTE TO MAINTAINING A WIDER RANGE OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, IN A BROAD SPECTRUM OF FLT ENVELOPE ENVIRONMENTS, REGULAR, CONVENTIONAL HAND FLYING SKILLS, WITHIN STANDARDIZED PROCS, SHOULD BE FINE-TUNED IN THE SIMULATOR AND THEIR PRACTICE, ENCOURAGED ON THE LINE. P.S. CRM IS A GOOD TOOL. BUT I SHOULD HAVE 'TAKEN THE AIRPLANE' AND MADE THE RESTR, EVEN WITH A 14 YR VETERAN FO.

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.