Narrative:

Prior to departing providence, I was involved in a situation prior to boarding the aircraft in which I chastised the cabin crew for failing to get the cabin prepared for boarding. This event was weighing heavily on my mind as we departed providence. Upon reaching cruise altitude, I instigated a discussion with my first officer and we began to converse on the subject. We were given a clearance to cross 25 mi north of sparta at 25 DME which I acknowledged. The first officer set the crossing restr on the FMS, but, due to the distraction created by the (my) conversation, I can only assume that it was not properly set. Some time later, we were queried by ATC as to our altitude and we realized we had failed to start our descent in time to make the crossing restr. FMS was selected to level change and ATC issued a left 360 degree turn to reintercept the airway and descend to 7000 ft. We were passing 13200 ft at the time of the incident and, due to the distraction of the conversation, I failed to note the FMS setup that led to the failure to make the crossing restr. What caused this problem was my failure to discipline myself in allowing an outside distraction to take precedent over the operation of the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 265323: I was distracted by the captain's conversation and we both failed to monitor the airplane's descent. I estimate that we crossed the fix at around 13000 ft MSL. For some unknown reason, VNAV on the computer, never captured the aircraft path descent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BIG ALT BUST.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEPARTING PROVIDENCE, I WAS INVOLVED IN A SIT PRIOR TO BOARDING THE ACFT IN WHICH I CHASTISED THE CABIN CREW FOR FAILING TO GET THE CABIN PREPARED FOR BOARDING. THIS EVENT WAS WEIGHING HEAVILY ON MY MIND AS WE DEPARTED PROVIDENCE. UPON REACHING CRUISE ALT, I INSTIGATED A DISCUSSION WITH MY FO AND WE BEGAN TO CONVERSE ON THE SUBJECT. WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS 25 MI N OF SPARTA AT 25 DME WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. THE FO SET THE XING RESTR ON THE FMS, BUT, DUE TO THE DISTR CREATED BY THE (MY) CONVERSATION, I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT IT WAS NOT PROPERLY SET. SOME TIME LATER, WE WERE QUERIED BY ATC AS TO OUR ALT AND WE REALIZED WE HAD FAILED TO START OUR DSCNT IN TIME TO MAKE THE XING RESTR. FMS WAS SELECTED TO LEVEL CHANGE AND ATC ISSUED A L 360 DEG TURN TO REINTERCEPT THE AIRWAY AND DSND TO 7000 FT. WE WERE PASSING 13200 FT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND, DUE TO THE DISTR OF THE CONVERSATION, I FAILED TO NOTE THE FMS SETUP THAT LED TO THE FAILURE TO MAKE THE XING RESTR. WHAT CAUSED THIS PROB WAS MY FAILURE TO DISCIPLINE MYSELF IN ALLOWING AN OUTSIDE DISTR TO TAKE PRECEDENT OVER THE OP OF THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 265323: I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE CAPT'S CONVERSATION AND WE BOTH FAILED TO MONITOR THE AIRPLANE'S DSCNT. I ESTIMATE THAT WE CROSSED THE FIX AT AROUND 13000 FT MSL. FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, VNAV ON THE COMPUTER, NEVER CAPTURED THE ACFT PATH DSCNT.

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.