Altitude deviation crossing restr not met, heading, track deviation by flight crew of an EMB145 en r...

Attributes
ACN	539380
Time
Date	200202
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : msn.vortac
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 28000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 4140 flight time type : 1050
ASRS Report	539380
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	539767
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Aircraft Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were in cruise flight at FL280. Controller contacted us and issued a clearance for us to cross 10 NM north of msn VOR at FL240. I programmed the clearance into the FMS VNAV for planning purposes. The FMS indicated we still had some time before having to initiate the descent. Our FMS VNAV is not coupled to the autoplt. The controller contacted us at approximately 10.5 NM from msn and stated to us he didn't think we would make our crossing restr being that we had not yet even began our descent from FL280. The captain and I had been talking about the many problems facing our pilot group in recent months. This in turn became quite a distraction as I completely forgot to begin our descent to make our crossing restr. The controller now instructed us to expedite down to FL190 and maintain our current heading. I selected heading on the flight guidance controller as we were in LNAV. The controller handed us off to another center frequency. Moments later the controller questioned our current heading indicating to us we were not on the current heading assigned to us by the previous controller. At this time I noticed the aircraft was back in LNAV mode, so I immediately reselected heading mode, at which point the aircraft turned back to the assigned heading. I was perplexed as to why the LNAV mode was reselected after I had selected the heading mode. I asked the captain if he had reselected the LNAV mode, to which he said he did not. I had my head down getting approach plates out and did not notice the aircraft turn in the LNAV mode. It is my gut feeling that for whatever reason, the captain selected the LNAV mode while I was head down getting out my approach charts. Looking back on this event, I believe the original distraction of talking company politics while flying is a great distraction to flying the aircraft. From now on I will leave the company talk in the crew room where it belongs. Supplemental information from acn 539767: the first officer failed to select heading mode and I also failed to verify his selection.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV XING RESTR NOT MET, HDG, TRACK DEV BY FLC OF AN EMB145 ENRTE TO ORD, IL.

Narrative: WE WERE IN CRUISE FLT AT FL280. CTLR CONTACTED US AND ISSUED A CLRNC FOR US TO CROSS 10 NM N OF MSN VOR AT FL240. I PROGRAMMED THE CLRNC INTO THE FMS VNAV FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. THE FMS INDICATED WE STILL HAD SOME TIME BEFORE HAVING TO INITIATE THE DSCNT. OUR FMS VNAV IS NOT COUPLED TO THE AUTOPLT. THE CTLR CONTACTED US AT APPROX 10.5 NM FROM MSN AND STATED TO US HE DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD MAKE OUR XING RESTR BEING THAT WE HAD NOT YET EVEN BEGAN OUR DSCNT FROM FL280. THE CAPT AND I HAD BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE MANY PROBS FACING OUR PLT GROUP IN RECENT MONTHS. THIS IN TURN BECAME QUITE A DISTR AS I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO BEGIN OUR DSCNT TO MAKE OUR XING RESTR. THE CTLR NOW INSTRUCTED US TO EXPEDITE DOWN TO FL190 AND MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT HDG. I SELECTED HDG ON THE FLT GUIDANCE CONTROLLER AS WE WERE IN LNAV. THE CTLR HANDED US OFF TO ANOTHER CTR FREQ. MOMENTS LATER THE CTLR QUESTIONED OUR CURRENT HDG INDICATING TO US WE WERE NOT ON THE CURRENT HDG ASSIGNED TO US BY THE PREVIOUS CTLR. AT THIS TIME I NOTICED THE ACFT WAS BACK IN LNAV MODE, SO I IMMEDIATELY RESELECTED HDG MODE, AT WHICH POINT THE ACFT TURNED BACK TO THE ASSIGNED HDG. I WAS PERPLEXED AS TO WHY THE LNAV MODE WAS RESELECTED AFTER I HAD SELECTED THE HDG MODE. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE HAD RESELECTED THE LNAV MODE, TO WHICH HE SAID HE DID NOT. I HAD MY HEAD DOWN GETTING APCH PLATES OUT AND DID NOT NOTICE THE ACFT TURN IN THE LNAV MODE. IT IS MY GUT FEELING THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE CAPT SELECTED THE LNAV MODE WHILE I WAS HEAD DOWN GETTING OUT MY APCH CHARTS. LOOKING BACK ON THIS EVENT, I BELIEVE THE ORIGINAL DISTR OF TALKING COMPANY POLITICS WHILE FLYING IS A GREAT DISTR TO FLYING THE ACFT. FROM NOW ON I WILL LEAVE THE COMPANY TALK IN THE CREW ROOM WHERE IT BELONGS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 539767: THE FO FAILED TO SELECT HDG MODE AND I ALSO FAILED TO VERIFY HIS SELECTION.

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.

Altitude deviation crossing restr not met, heading, track deviation by flight crew of an EMB145 en route to ord, il.