Narrative:

As a reserve pilot, I was notified on the morning of thu at xk:00 to report for a flight that departed at xa:50 on fri. An all-nighter as they are called. Since this was not a regular trip for me I had just finished a full nights sleep and found it difficult to rest before leaving for work at xu:00. My copilot was also on reserve and received no rest before reporting for work. The first leg of this sequence was lax-dfw arriving xd:00 local (lx:00 body time), uneventful. After changing aircraft and terminal buildings at dfw we departed for atl at xg:05 local. The first officer was flying the la grange 6 arrival to atl. We were cleared to cross tiroe at 14000'. I was receiving ATIS and checking the ILS chart when at 20 mi (3 mi shy of tiroe) I noticed we were at 16000' and unable to make the crossing restriction. I immediately called for relief and was granted it just as we crossed tiroe around 15000'. No comments or problems were received from the controller, so I don't know if there were any conflicts. The first officer stated he was planning on crossing 23 mi on the atl VOR. He was using the wrong navigation aid for this fix. I am normally very aware of altitude crossing restrictions because it is the most frequent error I see. I always include this topic in my brief to arrival 5-10 mi early. The major factor in this error is fatigue. The first leg of an all-nighter is not usually a problem. During the second leg especially a long flight (2+ hours) your judgement becomes impaired and the necessary thought processes to make instrument arrs becomes more difficult. We landed at xd:06 local (xf:06 body time). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter's comments dealt mainly with fatigue. He arose early the day before the incident well rested. He was therefore unable to sleep prior to reporting for duty late that night. He had been west/O sleep for more than 24 hours when incident occurred.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT CROSSING RESTRICTION NOT MET BECAUSE DESCENT STARTED LATE.

Narrative: AS A RESERVE PLT, I WAS NOTIFIED ON THE MORNING OF THU AT XK:00 TO RPT FOR A FLT THAT DEPARTED AT XA:50 ON FRI. AN ALL-NIGHTER AS THEY ARE CALLED. SINCE THIS WAS NOT A REGULAR TRIP FOR ME I HAD JUST FINISHED A FULL NIGHTS SLEEP AND FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO REST BEFORE LEAVING FOR WORK AT XU:00. MY COPLT WAS ALSO ON RESERVE AND RECEIVED NO REST BEFORE RPTING FOR WORK. THE FIRST LEG OF THIS SEQUENCE WAS LAX-DFW ARRIVING XD:00 LCL (LX:00 BODY TIME), UNEVENTFUL. AFTER CHANGING ACFT AND TERMINAL BUILDINGS AT DFW WE DEPARTED FOR ATL AT XG:05 LCL. THE F/O WAS FLYING THE LA GRANGE 6 ARR TO ATL. WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS TIROE AT 14000'. I WAS RECEIVING ATIS AND CHKING THE ILS CHART WHEN AT 20 MI (3 MI SHY OF TIROE) I NOTICED WE WERE AT 16000' AND UNABLE TO MAKE THE XING RESTRICTION. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR RELIEF AND WAS GRANTED IT JUST AS WE CROSSED TIROE AROUND 15000'. NO COMMENTS OR PROBS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE CTLR, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WERE ANY CONFLICTS. THE F/O STATED HE WAS PLANNING ON XING 23 MI ON THE ATL VOR. HE WAS USING THE WRONG NAV AID FOR THIS FIX. I AM NORMALLY VERY AWARE OF ALT XING RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST FREQUENT ERROR I SEE. I ALWAYS INCLUDE THIS TOPIC IN MY BRIEF TO ARR 5-10 MI EARLY. THE MAJOR FACTOR IN THIS ERROR IS FATIGUE. THE FIRST LEG OF AN ALL-NIGHTER IS NOT USUALLY A PROB. DURING THE SECOND LEG ESPECIALLY A LONG FLT (2+ HOURS) YOUR JUDGEMENT BECOMES IMPAIRED AND THE NECESSARY THOUGHT PROCESSES TO MAKE INSTRUMENT ARRS BECOMES MORE DIFFICULT. WE LANDED AT XD:06 LCL (XF:06 BODY TIME). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR'S COMMENTS DEALT MAINLY WITH FATIGUE. HE AROSE EARLY THE DAY BEFORE THE INCIDENT WELL RESTED. HE WAS THEREFORE UNABLE TO SLEEP PRIOR TO RPTING FOR DUTY LATE THAT NIGHT. HE HAD BEEN W/O SLEEP FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED.

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.