Air carrier first officer reports missing crossing restriction at mrb on the EMI arrival to bwi. Rep...

Attributes
ACN	802254
Time
Date	200808
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi.airport
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl single value : 11000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc.artcc tracon : pct.tracon artcc : zla.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Route In Use	arrival star : emi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 105
ASRS Report	802254
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were on the westminster 5 arrival to bwi. The captain asked me to request deviation clearance for WX in front of us on the arrival. When I requested a right deviation; the controller said that it was just rain showers and that 70% of the people were going through the WX with no problems. I said we still did not want to go through it. The controller was irritated and said there were arrs into other airports on both sides of us and asked what heading we wanted. The captain and I were discussing how to deviate. Sometime in here; the controller cleared us to cross mrb at 11000 ft. It didn't register with me that he said mrb at 11000 ft. (Ruane at 11000 ft is on the published approach and ruane is the point after mrb.) in my mind I thought we needed to cross ruane at 11000 ft. I did not put mrb at 11000 ft in the FMC and neither did the captain. Just prior to mrb the controller said if we weren't going to make a crossing restr; we needed to let him know. I saw on the FMC that we were low on the FMC descent profile and not near ruane passing 12000 ft so I didn't understand the controller's comment. I was slow to answer so the captain told the controller we were going to make the restr. The controller responded that he showed us well east of mrb. At this time we had just passed mrb (still showing 21 mi to ruane) and were leveling at 11000 ft. I told the captain I didn't realize we were to cross mrb at 11000 ft. The captain said he knew we were supposed to cross mrb at 11000 ft but had shallowed his descent when he was figuring out how to get around the WX without the cooperation of the controller. Even with the restr at mrb; I thought we made it; but the controller insisted we didn't. The controller seemed irritated with us from the first WX deviation request. I need to listen better to make sure I hear what is said and not what I expect to hear.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FO REPORTS MISSING CROSSING RESTRICTION AT MRB ON THE EMI ARRIVAL TO BWI. REPORTER IS DISTRACTED BY DISAGREEMENT WITH ATC OVER NEED TO DEVIATE AROUND WEATHER ALONG THEIR ROUTE.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE WESTMINSTER 5 ARR TO BWI. THE CAPT ASKED ME TO REQUEST DEV CLRNC FOR WX IN FRONT OF US ON THE ARR. WHEN I REQUESTED A R DEV; THE CTLR SAID THAT IT WAS JUST RAIN SHOWERS AND THAT 70% OF THE PEOPLE WERE GOING THROUGH THE WX WITH NO PROBS. I SAID WE STILL DID NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH IT. THE CTLR WAS IRRITATED AND SAID THERE WERE ARRS INTO OTHER ARPTS ON BOTH SIDES OF US AND ASKED WHAT HDG WE WANTED. THE CAPT AND I WERE DISCUSSING HOW TO DEVIATE. SOMETIME IN HERE; THE CTLR CLRED US TO CROSS MRB AT 11000 FT. IT DIDN'T REGISTER WITH ME THAT HE SAID MRB AT 11000 FT. (RUANE AT 11000 FT IS ON THE PUBLISHED APCH AND RUANE IS THE POINT AFTER MRB.) IN MY MIND I THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO CROSS RUANE AT 11000 FT. I DID NOT PUT MRB AT 11000 FT IN THE FMC AND NEITHER DID THE CAPT. JUST PRIOR TO MRB THE CTLR SAID IF WE WEREN'T GOING TO MAKE A XING RESTR; WE NEEDED TO LET HIM KNOW. I SAW ON THE FMC THAT WE WERE LOW ON THE FMC DSCNT PROFILE AND NOT NEAR RUANE PASSING 12000 FT SO I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE CTLR'S COMMENT. I WAS SLOW TO ANSWER SO THE CAPT TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE RESTR. THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT HE SHOWED US WELL E OF MRB. AT THIS TIME WE HAD JUST PASSED MRB (STILL SHOWING 21 MI TO RUANE) AND WERE LEVELING AT 11000 FT. I TOLD THE CAPT I DIDN'T REALIZE WE WERE TO CROSS MRB AT 11000 FT. THE CAPT SAID HE KNEW WE WERE SUPPOSED TO CROSS MRB AT 11000 FT BUT HAD SHALLOWED HIS DSCNT WHEN HE WAS FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET AROUND THE WX WITHOUT THE COOPERATION OF THE CTLR. EVEN WITH THE RESTR AT MRB; I THOUGHT WE MADE IT; BUT THE CTLR INSISTED WE DIDN'T. THE CTLR SEEMED IRRITATED WITH US FROM THE FIRST WX DEV REQUEST. I NEED TO LISTEN BETTER TO MAKE SURE I HEAR WHAT IS SAID AND NOT WHAT I EXPECT TO HEAR.

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.

Air carrier first officer reports missing crossing restriction at mrb on the EMI arrival to bwi. Reporter is distracted by disagreement with ATC over need to deviate around weather along their route.