Air carrier X pilot discretion descent clearance forgot to descend for crossing restr.

Attributes
ACN	293918
Time
Date	199501
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pxt
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 27000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	293918
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	293768
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First officer was flying air carrier X. ZDC cleared us to cross pidgy at and maintain FL240. We were at FL270 and crossed ridgy at FL270. First officer failed to initiate descent to cross at FL240. The first officer was very inattentive about course corrections the entire trip. I didn't realize his inattentiveness would go farther than that. In the future, if inattentiveness is not corrected after the very first mention of it, I will take control of the aircraft back at that point and fly the rest of the trip myself. It is very uncomfortable to have to stand over a person and will ultimately result in a situation like this. Supplemental information from acn information 293768: flying the ward 4 STAR, we were cleared to cross ridgy intersection at FL240. At the time we were at FL270 and 50 mi from smyrna. Normally we would start down at 31 mi to be at ridgy (22 mi) at FL240. Normally we would have been at a higher altitude and when ATC gave us this discretionary descent we would have started down. But we came up from tpa at FL270 because of turbulence. So there was about 3 mins from the time we received the clearance till we needed to start down. We didn't start down till we were past the intersection. I wish I had a good excuse but we were just talking about how bad the company was and we all forgot until we passed the intersection.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X PLT DISCRETION DSCNT CLRNC FORGOT TO DSND FOR XING RESTR.

Narrative: FO WAS FLYING ACR X. ZDC CLRED US TO CROSS PIDGY AT AND MAINTAIN FL240. WE WERE AT FL270 AND CROSSED RIDGY AT FL270. FO FAILED TO INITIATE DSCNT TO CROSS AT FL240. THE FO WAS VERY INATTENTIVE ABOUT COURSE CORRECTIONS THE ENTIRE TRIP. I DIDN'T REALIZE HIS INATTENTIVENESS WOULD GO FARTHER THAN THAT. IN THE FUTURE, IF INATTENTIVENESS IS NOT CORRECTED AFTER THE VERY FIRST MENTION OF IT, I WILL TAKE CTL OF THE ACFT BACK AT THAT POINT AND FLY THE REST OF THE TRIP MYSELF. IT IS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO HAVE TO STAND OVER A PERSON AND WILL ULTIMATELY RESULT IN A SIT LIKE THIS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN INFO 293768: FLYING THE WARD 4 STAR, WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RIDGY INTXN AT FL240. AT THE TIME WE WERE AT FL270 AND 50 MI FROM SMYRNA. NORMALLY WE WOULD START DOWN AT 31 MI TO BE AT RIDGY (22 MI) AT FL240. NORMALLY WE WOULD HAVE BEEN AT A HIGHER ALT AND WHEN ATC GAVE US THIS DISCRETIONARY DSCNT WE WOULD HAVE STARTED DOWN. BUT WE CAME UP FROM TPA AT FL270 BECAUSE OF TURB. SO THERE WAS ABOUT 3 MINS FROM THE TIME WE RECEIVED THE CLRNC TILL WE NEEDED TO START DOWN. WE DIDN'T START DOWN TILL WE WERE PAST THE INTXN. I WISH I HAD A GOOD EXCUSE BUT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW BAD THE COMPANY WAS AND WE ALL FORGOT UNTIL WE PASSED THE INTXN.

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.