Altitude crossing restr not met. Altitude deviation altitude undershot.

Attributes
ACN	301925
Time
Date	199504
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eno
State Reference	DE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	301925
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : undershoot altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cruise FL350 cleared to cross ridgy at FL240. In VNAV, set in FMC and altitude window. Attention diverted with company calls, atl - cabin crew. Approximately 1 mi before ridgy FMC said descent path unattainable, looked up and still level at FL350. Aircraft pitched down to try and capture path. Did not make crossing restr. No traffic conflict. ATC immediately alerted. FMC showed proper top of descent but aircraft did not start down and crew failed to notice.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT XING RESTR NOT MET. ALTDEV ALT UNDERSHOT.

Narrative: CRUISE FL350 CLRED TO CROSS RIDGY AT FL240. IN VNAV, SET IN FMC AND ALT WINDOW. ATTN DIVERTED WITH COMPANY CALLS, ATL - CABIN CREW. APPROX 1 MI BEFORE RIDGY FMC SAID DSCNT PATH UNATTAINABLE, LOOKED UP AND STILL LEVEL AT FL350. ACFT PITCHED DOWN TO TRY AND CAPTURE PATH. DID NOT MAKE XING RESTR. NO TFC CONFLICT. ATC IMMEDIATELY ALERTED. FMC SHOWED PROPER TOP OF DSCNT BUT ACFT DID NOT START DOWN AND CREW FAILED TO NOTICE.

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.