Narrative:

In cruise mem-sea, flight attendant advised 2 passenger were ill and nauseated they speculated it was from in-flight meals. During the descent, the first officer was handling ATC and checklists while I flew the aircraft and relayed the passenger situation to company dispatch via VHF radio. While this was going on, we requested the auburn FMS arrival and received it. I set the FMS to 3200 ft, entered the transition into the mcdu and selected VNAV. We had a constraint of 10000 ft until F086G intersection and 10 mi prior to auburn approach politely pointed out we were 'a little early...' on the descent (we were out of 9000 ft) and cleared to 8000 ft. I selected 8000 ft and tried to discover why the aircraft had not leveled at 10000 ft as I thought I had programmed it to. The nd indicated the FMS approach with all constraints correctly displayed. The problem was most likely my incorrect selection of VNAV mode, exacerbated by not monitoring the performance closely enough. We had the distraction of the passenger illnesses and communicating with the company in a very busy 2-MAN crew environment and I failed to remember the #1 job -- fly the airplane. Supplemental information from acn 286535: contributing factors: having been off the A-320 for 5 months and never completed an FMS transition, I may have overlooked something that would indicate the aircraft wold not stop at 10000 ft. Additional: 2 pilots on 2 different radios, conducting 2 different conversation,south both depending on the FMS to meet all restrs. All crews should fly a complete FMS transition either in the simulator or under supervision in the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV.

Narrative: IN CRUISE MEM-SEA, FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED 2 PAX WERE ILL AND NAUSEATED THEY SPECULATED IT WAS FROM INFLT MEALS. DURING THE DSCNT, THE FO WAS HANDLING ATC AND CHKLISTS WHILE I FLEW THE ACFT AND RELAYED THE PAX SIT TO COMPANY DISPATCH VIA VHF RADIO. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON, WE REQUESTED THE AUBURN FMS ARR AND RECEIVED IT. I SET THE FMS TO 3200 FT, ENTERED THE TRANSITION INTO THE MCDU AND SELECTED VNAV. WE HAD A CONSTRAINT OF 10000 FT UNTIL F086G INTXN AND 10 MI PRIOR TO AUBURN APCH POLITELY POINTED OUT WE WERE 'A LITTLE EARLY...' ON THE DSCNT (WE WERE OUT OF 9000 FT) AND CLRED TO 8000 FT. I SELECTED 8000 FT AND TRIED TO DISCOVER WHY THE ACFT HAD NOT LEVELED AT 10000 FT AS I THOUGHT I HAD PROGRAMMED IT TO. THE ND INDICATED THE FMS APCH WITH ALL CONSTRAINTS CORRECTLY DISPLAYED. THE PROB WAS MOST LIKELY MY INCORRECT SELECTION OF VNAV MODE, EXACERBATED BY NOT MONITORING THE PERFORMANCE CLOSELY ENOUGH. WE HAD THE DISTR OF THE PAX ILLNESSES AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMPANY IN A VERY BUSY 2-MAN CREW ENVIRONMENT AND I FAILED TO REMEMBER THE #1 JOB -- FLY THE AIRPLANE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 286535: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: HAVING BEEN OFF THE A-320 FOR 5 MONTHS AND NEVER COMPLETED AN FMS TRANSITION, I MAY HAVE OVERLOOKED SOMETHING THAT WOULD INDICATE THE ACFT WOLD NOT STOP AT 10000 FT. ADDITIONAL: 2 PLTS ON 2 DIFFERENT RADIOS, CONDUCTING 2 DIFFERENT CONVERSATION,S BOTH DEPENDING ON THE FMS TO MEET ALL RESTRS. ALL CREWS SHOULD FLY A COMPLETE FMS TRANSITION EITHER IN THE SIMULATOR OR UNDER SUPERVISION IN THE ACFT.

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.