A D328 crew, on arrival to den, undershot their assigned altitude.

Attributes
ACN	566265
Time
Date	200211
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 16500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d01.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Do 328 TP (Turboprop)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : sayge foor
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain observation : company check pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 5100 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	566265
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 2800 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	566630
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We had an early morning departure from lnk. I was doing IOE with a new hire first officer. The 3 day trip had been mostly short legs, so I was behind on paperwork and instructing. About 15 mins from the top of descent point, we were rerted from the lawdr arrival to the sayge arrival. We were just finishing up a discussion about the FMS fuel management. We programmed the new arrival into the FMS and then we were told to cross sayge at 14000 ft. I entered that into the FMS and proceeded to explain the VNAV to the first officer. As the airplane started down, I was signing off my last few items on my IOE checklist and the first officer was getting den ATIS. When he was done getting the ATIS, we got handed off to den approach. When we checked in with approach he cleared us down to 13000 ft. At that time I realized that we had just crossed sayge at about 16500 ft. We leveled at 13000 ft and then realized the altimeters were still set to 29.92 with a qnh of 30.37. We corrected this and realized that we better catch up. The remainder of the arrival, approach and landing were uneventful. I spent so much time trying to teach the new first officer about the aircraft and the operation that I didn't give us enough time to let him get his job done. This and the early morning departure for this leg helped us into a position where we were behind before we started the arrival and we made 2 mistakes before we caught up with what was going on. Supplemental information from acn 566630: as we approached the intersection for our crossing altitude, it soon became apparent that we were not going to make our crossing altitude. We failed to meet it. The PNF should have verified with the PF that the correct altitude was entered into correct intersection on the FMS. In our descent, the PF noticed he had entered the correct altitude into the wrong intersection. Both crew members should verify all VNAV crossing points, like we usually do with route changes and altitude changes. A challenge/response system, so one crew member must verify the correct information prior to activating the autoplt mode.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A D328 CREW, ON ARR TO DEN, UNDERSHOT THEIR ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: WE HAD AN EARLY MORNING DEP FROM LNK. I WAS DOING IOE WITH A NEW HIRE FO. THE 3 DAY TRIP HAD BEEN MOSTLY SHORT LEGS, SO I WAS BEHIND ON PAPERWORK AND INSTRUCTING. ABOUT 15 MINS FROM THE TOP OF DSCNT POINT, WE WERE RERTED FROM THE LAWDR ARR TO THE SAYGE ARR. WE WERE JUST FINISHING UP A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE FMS FUEL MGMNT. WE PROGRAMMED THE NEW ARR INTO THE FMS AND THEN WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS SAYGE AT 14000 FT. I ENTERED THAT INTO THE FMS AND PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN THE VNAV TO THE FO. AS THE AIRPLANE STARTED DOWN, I WAS SIGNING OFF MY LAST FEW ITEMS ON MY IOE CHKLIST AND THE FO WAS GETTING DEN ATIS. WHEN HE WAS DONE GETTING THE ATIS, WE GOT HANDED OFF TO DEN APCH. WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH APCH HE CLRED US DOWN TO 13000 FT. AT THAT TIME I REALIZED THAT WE HAD JUST CROSSED SAYGE AT ABOUT 16500 FT. WE LEVELED AT 13000 FT AND THEN REALIZED THE ALTIMETERS WERE STILL SET TO 29.92 WITH A QNH OF 30.37. WE CORRECTED THIS AND REALIZED THAT WE BETTER CATCH UP. THE REMAINDER OF THE ARR, APCH AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. I SPENT SO MUCH TIME TRYING TO TEACH THE NEW FO ABOUT THE ACFT AND THE OP THAT I DIDN'T GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO LET HIM GET HIS JOB DONE. THIS AND THE EARLY MORNING DEP FOR THIS LEG HELPED US INTO A POS WHERE WE WERE BEHIND BEFORE WE STARTED THE ARR AND WE MADE 2 MISTAKES BEFORE WE CAUGHT UP WITH WHAT WAS GOING ON. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 566630: AS WE APCHED THE INTXN FOR OUR XING ALT, IT SOON BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE OUR XING ALT. WE FAILED TO MEET IT. THE PNF SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED WITH THE PF THAT THE CORRECT ALT WAS ENTERED INTO CORRECT INTXN ON THE FMS. IN OUR DSCNT, THE PF NOTICED HE HAD ENTERED THE CORRECT ALT INTO THE WRONG INTXN. BOTH CREW MEMBERS SHOULD VERIFY ALL VNAV XING POINTS, LIKE WE USUALLY DO WITH RTE CHANGES AND ALT CHANGES. A CHALLENGE/RESPONSE SYS, SO ONE CREW MEMBER MUST VERIFY THE CORRECT INFO PRIOR TO ACTIVATING THE AUTOPLT MODE.

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.