Narrative:

Although I was captain, I was occupying the right seat and flying as an instructor with a transition captain in the left seat. I believe we were at 31000 ft when requested by ZDC to cross 25 mi west of mol at 25000 ft. Our flight was IFR. I began a descent of approximately 1500 ft FPM upon receipt of the clearance. I asked the transition captain to set up the crossing in the mcdu. After initial inputs, he was unsure as to why the mcdu would not take the entry. The center then asked if we would make the crossing. I replied I don't know, we're working on it. I now increased my rate of descent and had the student set up the fix page for mol VOR, while I went to the navigation/radial page to set up mol VOR. Even though mol VOR was on the active flight plan, it was not the next fix, so we had to determine how far out we were. With a nice 110 KT tailwind we were close to 540 KTS, GS. By the time we had a position from mol VOR it showed 22.2 mi west and we were out of 26000 ft for 25000 ft. Later, I discovered 'bigal' intersection which was on our flight plan was 25 mi west of mol VOR. Had the controller given us a clearance for bigal at 25000 ft, we could have planned our descent better. Supplemental information from acn 532658: I am a captain being trained on a B717 flying with an instructor on a trip. A 110 KT tailwind and the instructor asked me to set up the crossing in the mcdu, but we were already too close for it to take. We were already in a descent but could not quite make the crossing at 25 mi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B717 IOE CHK AIRMAN AND CAPT GETTING IOE DID NOT MAKE AN ASSIGNED XING RESTR IN ZDC CLASS A.

Narrative: ALTHOUGH I WAS CAPT, I WAS OCCUPYING THE R SEAT AND FLYING AS AN INSTRUCTOR WITH A TRANSITION CAPT IN THE L SEAT. I BELIEVE WE WERE AT 31000 FT WHEN REQUESTED BY ZDC TO CROSS 25 MI W OF MOL AT 25000 FT. OUR FLT WAS IFR. I BEGAN A DSCNT OF APPROX 1500 FT FPM UPON RECEIPT OF THE CLRNC. I ASKED THE TRANSITION CAPT TO SET UP THE XING IN THE MCDU. AFTER INITIAL INPUTS, HE WAS UNSURE AS TO WHY THE MCDU WOULD NOT TAKE THE ENTRY. THE CTR THEN ASKED IF WE WOULD MAKE THE XING. I REPLIED I DON'T KNOW, WE'RE WORKING ON IT. I NOW INCREASED MY RATE OF DSCNT AND HAD THE STUDENT SET UP THE FIX PAGE FOR MOL VOR, WHILE I WENT TO THE NAV/RADIAL PAGE TO SET UP MOL VOR. EVEN THOUGH MOL VOR WAS ON THE ACTIVE FLT PLAN, IT WAS NOT THE NEXT FIX, SO WE HAD TO DETERMINE HOW FAR OUT WE WERE. WITH A NICE 110 KT TAILWIND WE WERE CLOSE TO 540 KTS, GS. BY THE TIME WE HAD A POS FROM MOL VOR IT SHOWED 22.2 MI W AND WE WERE OUT OF 26000 FT FOR 25000 FT. LATER, I DISCOVERED 'BIGAL' INTXN WHICH WAS ON OUR FLT PLAN WAS 25 MI W OF MOL VOR. HAD THE CTLR GIVEN US A CLRNC FOR BIGAL AT 25000 FT, WE COULD HAVE PLANNED OUR DSCNT BETTER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 532658: I AM A CAPT BEING TRAINED ON A B717 FLYING WITH AN INSTRUCTOR ON A TRIP. A 110 KT TAILWIND AND THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED ME TO SET UP THE XING IN THE MCDU, BUT WE WERE ALREADY TOO CLOSE FOR IT TO TAKE. WE WERE ALREADY IN A DSCNT BUT COULD NOT QUITE MAKE THE XING AT 25 MI.

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.