Narrative:

While at cruise, we got a 'copilot roll command' message on the EICAS and the associated light. We didn't notice any roll that should be felt when getting an aileron PCU runaway like the aircraft was telling us. We looked at the QRH but didn't think it was necessary to pull the aileron disconnect. I got a hold of maintenance via the radio and since it seemed to be an indication error we decided to continue to our destination of cos. Shortly after ZDV issued a crossing restr of '50 mi east of hbu at FL270' the first officer entered the restr into the FMS, at about the same time I pulled the QRH out again to research the earlier problem some more. I distraction the first officer by asking opinions and such, and since he was the PF, took his attention away from the descent. Center asked about our altitude which is when we noticed the late start down. The first officer initiated the descent at about 4000 FPM and we estimate that we crossed about 1 or 2 mi later than was asked of us. If I wouldn't have distraction the first officer by asking the questions he would have started down on time. Also, this aircraft had been written up 3 times in the last 2 days for the same problems. Maintenance was just 'rebooting' the plane. If they had taken the time to troubleshoot and correctly fix this problem with a primary flight control, then we wouldn't have seen this error. But mostly, it was me distracting the first officer from his flying duties. Supplemental information from acn 450852: the captain brought up the flight control page and it was normal. We shutoff the autoplt to see if the controls were normal, and they were. ATC gave us a crossing restr. I input the restr into the FMS, which will give us advisory information only as to the required rate of descent to make the crossing restr. The initial required descent was only 1500 FPM, and I was going to wait for a descent of 2000-2500 FPM. I estimate that it was about 2 mins between the input of the crossing restr and ATC asking us about our altitude. I believe that the main factor in the late start down was our being distraction by the discrepancy. The QRH had no specific procedure. We simply wanted to make sure we had covered all of our bases. With both pilots heads down, it was easy to lose situational awareness in regards to the crossing restr. A possible help in this situation might be having VNAV on the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT XING RESTR NOT MADE DURING AN ALT UNDERSHOOT BY A DISTR FLC OF CL65 50 MI E OF HUB, CO.

Narrative: WHILE AT CRUISE, WE GOT A 'COPLT ROLL COMMAND' MESSAGE ON THE EICAS AND THE ASSOCIATED LIGHT. WE DIDN'T NOTICE ANY ROLL THAT SHOULD BE FELT WHEN GETTING AN AILERON PCU RUNAWAY LIKE THE ACFT WAS TELLING US. WE LOOKED AT THE QRH BUT DIDN'T THINK IT WAS NECESSARY TO PULL THE AILERON DISCONNECT. I GOT A HOLD OF MAINT VIA THE RADIO AND SINCE IT SEEMED TO BE AN INDICATION ERROR WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO OUR DEST OF COS. SHORTLY AFTER ZDV ISSUED A XING RESTR OF '50 MI E OF HBU AT FL270' THE FO ENTERED THE RESTR INTO THE FMS, AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME I PULLED THE QRH OUT AGAIN TO RESEARCH THE EARLIER PROB SOME MORE. I DISTR THE FO BY ASKING OPINIONS AND SUCH, AND SINCE HE WAS THE PF, TOOK HIS ATTN AWAY FROM THE DSCNT. CTR ASKED ABOUT OUR ALT WHICH IS WHEN WE NOTICED THE LATE START DOWN. THE FO INITIATED THE DSCNT AT ABOUT 4000 FPM AND WE ESTIMATE THAT WE CROSSED ABOUT 1 OR 2 MI LATER THAN WAS ASKED OF US. IF I WOULDN'T HAVE DISTR THE FO BY ASKING THE QUESTIONS HE WOULD HAVE STARTED DOWN ON TIME. ALSO, THIS ACFT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 2 DAYS FOR THE SAME PROBS. MAINT WAS JUST 'REBOOTING' THE PLANE. IF THEY HAD TAKEN THE TIME TO TROUBLESHOOT AND CORRECTLY FIX THIS PROB WITH A PRIMARY FLT CTL, THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN THIS ERROR. BUT MOSTLY, IT WAS ME DISTRACTING THE FO FROM HIS FLYING DUTIES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 450852: THE CAPT BROUGHT UP THE FLT CTL PAGE AND IT WAS NORMAL. WE SHUTOFF THE AUTOPLT TO SEE IF THE CTLS WERE NORMAL, AND THEY WERE. ATC GAVE US A XING RESTR. I INPUT THE RESTR INTO THE FMS, WHICH WILL GIVE US ADVISORY INFO ONLY AS TO THE REQUIRED RATE OF DSCNT TO MAKE THE XING RESTR. THE INITIAL REQUIRED DSCNT WAS ONLY 1500 FPM, AND I WAS GOING TO WAIT FOR A DSCNT OF 2000-2500 FPM. I ESTIMATE THAT IT WAS ABOUT 2 MINS BTWN THE INPUT OF THE XING RESTR AND ATC ASKING US ABOUT OUR ALT. I BELIEVE THAT THE MAIN FACTOR IN THE LATE START DOWN WAS OUR BEING DISTR BY THE DISCREPANCY. THE QRH HAD NO SPECIFIC PROC. WE SIMPLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD COVERED ALL OF OUR BASES. WITH BOTH PLTS HEADS DOWN, IT WAS EASY TO LOSE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN REGARDS TO THE XING RESTR. A POSSIBLE HELP IN THIS SIT MIGHT BE HAVING VNAV ON THE ACFT.

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.