Narrative:

Failed to make crossing restr. In cruise descent at 1000 FPM on the brusr STAR into phx, we were asked by ZAB to call dispatch to get them to contact one of our flts that seemed to be out of touch with ATC. While the first officer was trying to get dispatch, center gave us a crossing restr at brusr intersection of 12000 ft and 250 KTS. I acknowledged the clearance and set the altitude in the window, but before I could program the CDU the flight attendant called and gave me some information for phx. When I finished, I briefed the first officer on the requests for phx and he mentioned the problems getting dispatch. The need to program the CDU got lost in the shuffle, so I had incorrect vertical guidance from the LNAV system. To compound the problem, I had trouble seeing the CDU because I had the sun in my eyes, sunglasses on, and the CDU display was very dim so that it was almost illegible under the circumstances, especially on the other side of the console. Since I usually program the CDU when I am flying, the first officer assumed I had already done so and failed to check because of the distraction of trying to get dispatch. I just didn't recognize that we were so close to brusr until ZAB asked us if we were going to make the crossing restr. We dumped the nose and crossed brusr at about 14000 ft and 330 KTS. Phx approach vectored us left and right until we were back to normal spacing for arrs into phx. An unusual disruption at a critical time in the descent caused us to break our normal habits and keep the first officer from being 'in the loop' for the descent and crossing restr. The poor display quality of the CDU caused me to misinterp our position on the arrival. The lack of crossing restrs in the CDU flight plans is also a problem. If the crossing restr had been entered by the flight plan, we probably would have made it even with all the distrs. Some xings are automatically entered, some aren't, which is an inconsistency that can easily be corrected. Getting down early when the restr is not given is not a big problem, getting down late is a problem. I hesitate to write up dim CDU's because what is dim to my old eyes may be perfectly readable to someone else, and there is no standard on how bright the display must be for dispatch. The installation of the captain's side CDU would be a welcome event and may have made it easier for me to see the CDU and interpretation our position. I will be more vigilant in making sure I have the crossing restrs programmed and make an extra effort to be sure I properly view the fixes on the CDU in all lighting conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE DISTRS, A RESTR TO VISIBILITY IN THE COCKPIT AND AN UNPROGRAMMED FMC LEAD TO A XING RESTR NOT BEING MET.

Narrative: FAILED TO MAKE XING RESTR. IN CRUISE DSCNT AT 1000 FPM ON THE BRUSR STAR INTO PHX, WE WERE ASKED BY ZAB TO CALL DISPATCH TO GET THEM TO CONTACT ONE OF OUR FLTS THAT SEEMED TO BE OUT OF TOUCH WITH ATC. WHILE THE FO WAS TRYING TO GET DISPATCH, CTR GAVE US A XING RESTR AT BRUSR INTXN OF 12000 FT AND 250 KTS. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND SET THE ALT IN THE WINDOW, BUT BEFORE I COULD PROGRAM THE CDU THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND GAVE ME SOME INFO FOR PHX. WHEN I FINISHED, I BRIEFED THE FO ON THE REQUESTS FOR PHX AND HE MENTIONED THE PROBS GETTING DISPATCH. THE NEED TO PROGRAM THE CDU GOT LOST IN THE SHUFFLE, SO I HAD INCORRECT VERT GUIDANCE FROM THE LNAV SYS. TO COMPOUND THE PROB, I HAD TROUBLE SEEING THE CDU BECAUSE I HAD THE SUN IN MY EYES, SUNGLASSES ON, AND THE CDU DISPLAY WAS VERY DIM SO THAT IT WAS ALMOST ILLEGIBLE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, ESPECIALLY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CONSOLE. SINCE I USUALLY PROGRAM THE CDU WHEN I AM FLYING, THE FO ASSUMED I HAD ALREADY DONE SO AND FAILED TO CHK BECAUSE OF THE DISTR OF TRYING TO GET DISPATCH. I JUST DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THAT WE WERE SO CLOSE TO BRUSR UNTIL ZAB ASKED US IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE XING RESTR. WE DUMPED THE NOSE AND CROSSED BRUSR AT ABOUT 14000 FT AND 330 KTS. PHX APCH VECTORED US L AND R UNTIL WE WERE BACK TO NORMAL SPACING FOR ARRS INTO PHX. AN UNUSUAL DISRUPTION AT A CRITICAL TIME IN THE DSCNT CAUSED US TO BREAK OUR NORMAL HABITS AND KEEP THE FO FROM BEING 'IN THE LOOP' FOR THE DSCNT AND XING RESTR. THE POOR DISPLAY QUALITY OF THE CDU CAUSED ME TO MISINTERP OUR POS ON THE ARR. THE LACK OF XING RESTRS IN THE CDU FLT PLANS IS ALSO A PROB. IF THE XING RESTR HAD BEEN ENTERED BY THE FLT PLAN, WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE MADE IT EVEN WITH ALL THE DISTRS. SOME XINGS ARE AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED, SOME AREN'T, WHICH IS AN INCONSISTENCY THAT CAN EASILY BE CORRECTED. GETTING DOWN EARLY WHEN THE RESTR IS NOT GIVEN IS NOT A BIG PROB, GETTING DOWN LATE IS A PROB. I HESITATE TO WRITE UP DIM CDU'S BECAUSE WHAT IS DIM TO MY OLD EYES MAY BE PERFECTLY READABLE TO SOMEONE ELSE, AND THERE IS NO STANDARD ON HOW BRIGHT THE DISPLAY MUST BE FOR DISPATCH. THE INSTALLATION OF THE CAPT'S SIDE CDU WOULD BE A WELCOME EVENT AND MAY HAVE MADE IT EASIER FOR ME TO SEE THE CDU AND INTERP OUR POS. I WILL BE MORE VIGILANT IN MAKING SURE I HAVE THE XING RESTRS PROGRAMMED AND MAKE AN EXTRA EFFORT TO BE SURE I PROPERLY VIEW THE FIXES ON THE CDU IN ALL LIGHTING CONDITIONS.

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.