Narrative:

At about 150 NM from the destination, it is usual for the PNF to start getting the destination ATIS and calculating the pertinent performance numbers. I noticed we were getting closer to slc than that but the captain was engrossed in his drawings for a bathroom redo and calculations for paying for it, and doing something with his palm pilot. We were communicating with ZSE and flying at FL250 which was our cruise altitude for that flight because we were flying with 1 pack deferred. Center gave us a crossing restr which we thought was 20 mi south of ffu at 15000 ft and 280 KTS. Center corrected our readback which should have been for 250 KTS, not 280 KTS. I put the information in the FMS and was about to put the altitude in the alerter when the captain started asking me my opinion about his plans for bathroom renovations. This discussion continued for some mins, after which time center passed us off to slc approach. When we checked on with them, we were told we were too high and were given back to center. Center apologized for the confusion (he thought he might have given us FL250 at that fix, he said). We were still at FL250 and 280 KTS at that point and had missed the crossing restr. Center gave us headings that essentially amounted to a 360 degree turn and dscnts that put us on a proper descent path for the airport, and apologized before handing us back to slc approach. Once we were on with approach, and about 35 mi or so from the airport, the captain went off the frequency to get the ATIS. While he was off, we were given a heading to intercept final at slc. I started programming the FMS and setting the autoplt, and while I was doing so, the captain came back and started telling me the WX at the airport. Again due to being distraction, I neglected to arm the FMS mode on the autoplt and so went through final for runway 34R (the needle was still alive). Just as I noticed this, approach must also have noticed because we were then given another heading to intercept from the other side. As I was trying to explain this to the captain, he kept telling me the WX and other things which I was too busy to hear at that time. But now we intercepted final, were cleared for the visual and landed without further incident. As the PF, I feel that my not being at the assigned altitude and speed at the designated point was due in large part to being distraction by the captain at the time the descent would have had to start.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 CAPT HIGHLY DISTR BY PERSONAL AFFAIRS CAUSES DISTRS AND THE CREW MISSED AN ALT CONSTRAINT.

Narrative: AT ABOUT 150 NM FROM THE DEST, IT IS USUAL FOR THE PNF TO START GETTING THE DEST ATIS AND CALCULATING THE PERTINENT PERFORMANCE NUMBERS. I NOTICED WE WERE GETTING CLOSER TO SLC THAN THAT BUT THE CAPT WAS ENGROSSED IN HIS DRAWINGS FOR A BATHROOM REDO AND CALCULATIONS FOR PAYING FOR IT, AND DOING SOMETHING WITH HIS PALM PILOT. WE WERE COMMUNICATING WITH ZSE AND FLYING AT FL250 WHICH WAS OUR CRUISE ALT FOR THAT FLT BECAUSE WE WERE FLYING WITH 1 PACK DEFERRED. CTR GAVE US A XING RESTR WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS 20 MI S OF FFU AT 15000 FT AND 280 KTS. CTR CORRECTED OUR READBACK WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOR 250 KTS, NOT 280 KTS. I PUT THE INFO IN THE FMS AND WAS ABOUT TO PUT THE ALT IN THE ALERTER WHEN THE CAPT STARTED ASKING ME MY OPINION ABOUT HIS PLANS FOR BATHROOM RENOVATIONS. THIS DISCUSSION CONTINUED FOR SOME MINS, AFTER WHICH TIME CTR PASSED US OFF TO SLC APCH. WHEN WE CHKED ON WITH THEM, WE WERE TOLD WE WERE TOO HIGH AND WERE GIVEN BACK TO CTR. CTR APOLOGIZED FOR THE CONFUSION (HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE GIVEN US FL250 AT THAT FIX, HE SAID). WE WERE STILL AT FL250 AND 280 KTS AT THAT POINT AND HAD MISSED THE XING RESTR. CTR GAVE US HDGS THAT ESSENTIALLY AMOUNTED TO A 360 DEG TURN AND DSCNTS THAT PUT US ON A PROPER DSCNT PATH FOR THE ARPT, AND APOLOGIZED BEFORE HANDING US BACK TO SLC APCH. ONCE WE WERE ON WITH APCH, AND ABOUT 35 MI OR SO FROM THE ARPT, THE CAPT WENT OFF THE FREQ TO GET THE ATIS. WHILE HE WAS OFF, WE WERE GIVEN A HDG TO INTERCEPT FINAL AT SLC. I STARTED PROGRAMMING THE FMS AND SETTING THE AUTOPLT, AND WHILE I WAS DOING SO, THE CAPT CAME BACK AND STARTED TELLING ME THE WX AT THE ARPT. AGAIN DUE TO BEING DISTR, I NEGLECTED TO ARM THE FMS MODE ON THE AUTOPLT AND SO WENT THROUGH FINAL FOR RWY 34R (THE NEEDLE WAS STILL ALIVE). JUST AS I NOTICED THIS, APCH MUST ALSO HAVE NOTICED BECAUSE WE WERE THEN GIVEN ANOTHER HDG TO INTERCEPT FROM THE OTHER SIDE. AS I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN THIS TO THE CAPT, HE KEPT TELLING ME THE WX AND OTHER THINGS WHICH I WAS TOO BUSY TO HEAR AT THAT TIME. BUT NOW WE INTERCEPTED FINAL, WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AS THE PF, I FEEL THAT MY NOT BEING AT THE ASSIGNED ALT AND SPD AT THE DESIGNATED POINT WAS DUE IN LARGE PART TO BEING DISTR BY THE CAPT AT THE TIME THE DSCNT WOULD HAVE HAD TO START.

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.