Narrative:

While arriving on honie arrival; was given very late descent to 14000 ft. Then was slowed to 280 KTS; making crossing restr at honie impossible. Missed crossing by at least 5 mi. Then was given new descent to 12000 ft. Set up new cruise altitude in FMS and planned for the honie VNAV arrival with a runway 27L ILS. Very close to fogog; ATC gave us 11000 ft with a restr to still cross fogog at 11000 ft and then continue descent along honie arrival. Plugged in a new cruise altitude and started descent to 11000 ft. Had 4000 ft in the altitude window as this was the final altitude along the arrival. Tried to plug in 210/110 at fogog. FMS would not accept this. I saw top of descent was prior to fogog. Tried several times; seems I thought I had made a typo. Aircraft started a descent approximately 2 mi prior to fogog. At 10600 ft; ATC made strong suggestion we were not at fogog and to return to 11000 ft. Clicked off autoplt; pulled back and pushed throttles up; returned to 11000 ft. I simultaneously had ATC yelling at us; TCAS going off; autoplt warning; and first officer debating ATC. Called ATC on the ground; had a very good conversation with several controllers. ATC was good enough to tell me there had not been a loss of separation. It seems on the surface that making the crossing restr is simple enough. However; making the FMS make the change that close in to the fix and then fly in VNAV for the rest of the arrival is; well; very challenging to say the very least. It seems even though I noticed the top of descent was prior to fogog; I figured I could get the restr typed into the FMS in time. When the FMS didn't accept my inputs; I got overly focused on what I might be doing wrong that it wouldn't accept my input. In the future; I rather imagine I'm going to fly arrs in the indicated airspeed mode.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATL ACR ARR FAILED TO MEET CROSSING RESTRICTIONS ON HONIE STAR DISTRACTED BY REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO ENTER CORRECT INFO INTO FMS.

Narrative: WHILE ARRIVING ON HONIE ARR; WAS GIVEN VERY LATE DSCNT TO 14000 FT. THEN WAS SLOWED TO 280 KTS; MAKING XING RESTR AT HONIE IMPOSSIBLE. MISSED XING BY AT LEAST 5 MI. THEN WAS GIVEN NEW DSCNT TO 12000 FT. SET UP NEW CRUISE ALT IN FMS AND PLANNED FOR THE HONIE VNAV ARR WITH A RWY 27L ILS. VERY CLOSE TO FOGOG; ATC GAVE US 11000 FT WITH A RESTR TO STILL CROSS FOGOG AT 11000 FT AND THEN CONTINUE DSCNT ALONG HONIE ARR. PLUGGED IN A NEW CRUISE ALT AND STARTED DSCNT TO 11000 FT. HAD 4000 FT IN THE ALT WINDOW AS THIS WAS THE FINAL ALT ALONG THE ARR. TRIED TO PLUG IN 210/110 AT FOGOG. FMS WOULD NOT ACCEPT THIS. I SAW TOP OF DSCNT WAS PRIOR TO FOGOG. TRIED SEVERAL TIMES; SEEMS I THOUGHT I HAD MADE A TYPO. ACFT STARTED A DSCNT APPROX 2 MI PRIOR TO FOGOG. AT 10600 FT; ATC MADE STRONG SUGGESTION WE WERE NOT AT FOGOG AND TO RETURN TO 11000 FT. CLICKED OFF AUTOPLT; PULLED BACK AND PUSHED THROTTLES UP; RETURNED TO 11000 FT. I SIMULTANEOUSLY HAD ATC YELLING AT US; TCAS GOING OFF; AUTOPLT WARNING; AND FO DEBATING ATC. CALLED ATC ON THE GND; HAD A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION WITH SEVERAL CTLRS. ATC WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO TELL ME THERE HAD NOT BEEN A LOSS OF SEPARATION. IT SEEMS ON THE SURFACE THAT MAKING THE XING RESTR IS SIMPLE ENOUGH. HOWEVER; MAKING THE FMS MAKE THE CHANGE THAT CLOSE IN TO THE FIX AND THEN FLY IN VNAV FOR THE REST OF THE ARR IS; WELL; VERY CHALLENGING TO SAY THE VERY LEAST. IT SEEMS EVEN THOUGH I NOTICED THE TOP OF DSCNT WAS PRIOR TO FOGOG; I FIGURED I COULD GET THE RESTR TYPED INTO THE FMS IN TIME. WHEN THE FMS DIDN'T ACCEPT MY INPUTS; I GOT OVERLY FOCUSED ON WHAT I MIGHT BE DOING WRONG THAT IT WOULDN'T ACCEPT MY INPUT. IN THE FUTURE; I RATHER IMAGINE I'M GOING TO FLY ARRS IN THE INDICATED AIRSPD MODE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.