A320 flight crew misses crossing restr during standard terminal arrival route (STAR) into las.

Attributes
ACN	564332
Time
Date	200210
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc tower : san.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : lynsy
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 24000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	564332
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	564403
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared for lynsy profile descent into las. First officer was PF and captain PNF. Aircraft allowed to descend prematurely after crossing lynsy because: 1) altitude alerter now set for bottom of procedure (8000 ft MSL), 2) first officer was flying the vertical profile in 'open descent' mode as he had been instructed to expedite his descent and had not returned to 'managed' descent at lynsy, and 3) captain did not properly monitor and provide a back-up for proper mode. Mitigating factors: 1) captain had just recently been off frequency while getting the in-range call, leaving a low experience level pilot in a high workload situation. 2) both pilots relatively low experience level in type. 3) first flight together and at late night hours local time. 4) both pilots engrossed in the upcoming approach and runway/taxiway to use when more stringent monitoring of present conditions should have been accomplished. After questioning, center controller immediately cleared flight to continue to 8000 ft MSL. No traffic nearby due to late hour. Xchk, xchk, xchk other pilots always! Never forget the importance of the A320 FMA on safety of flight. Supplemental information from acn 564403: always back each other up in high workload sits. Always confirm autoplt/FMS selection on airbus A320/19 FMA. Always determine present position when 1 pilot has been absent or out of the loop.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC MISSES XING RESTR DURING STANDARD TERMINAL ARR RTE (STAR) INTO LAS.

Narrative: CLRED FOR LYNSY PROFILE DSCNT INTO LAS. FO WAS PF AND CAPT PNF. ACFT ALLOWED TO DSND PREMATURELY AFTER XING LYNSY BECAUSE: 1) ALT ALERTER NOW SET FOR BOTTOM OF PROC (8000 FT MSL), 2) FO WAS FLYING THE VERT PROFILE IN 'OPEN DSCNT' MODE AS HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO EXPEDITE HIS DSCNT AND HAD NOT RETURNED TO 'MANAGED' DSCNT AT LYNSY, AND 3) CAPT DID NOT PROPERLY MONITOR AND PROVIDE A BACK-UP FOR PROPER MODE. MITIGATING FACTORS: 1) CAPT HAD JUST RECENTLY BEEN OFF FREQ WHILE GETTING THE IN-RANGE CALL, LEAVING A LOW EXPERIENCE LEVEL PLT IN A HIGH WORKLOAD SIT. 2) BOTH PLTS RELATIVELY LOW EXPERIENCE LEVEL IN TYPE. 3) FIRST FLT TOGETHER AND AT LATE NIGHT HRS LCL TIME. 4) BOTH PLTS ENGROSSED IN THE UPCOMING APCH AND RWY/TXWY TO USE WHEN MORE STRINGENT MONITORING OF PRESENT CONDITIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. AFTER QUESTIONING, CTR CTLR IMMEDIATELY CLRED FLT TO CONTINUE TO 8000 FT MSL. NO TFC NEARBY DUE TO LATE HR. XCHK, XCHK, XCHK OTHER PLTS ALWAYS! NEVER FORGET THE IMPORTANCE OF THE A320 FMA ON SAFETY OF FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 564403: ALWAYS BACK EACH OTHER UP IN HIGH WORKLOAD SITS. ALWAYS CONFIRM AUTOPLT/FMS SELECTION ON AIRBUS A320/19 FMA. ALWAYS DETERMINE PRESENT POS WHEN 1 PLT HAS BEEN ABSENT OR OUT OF THE LOOP.

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.