<< >> NASA ASRS Report 359860, February 1997

Altitude deviation altitude undershot in descent. Altitude crossing restr not met. Flight crew distraction personal socializing.

Attributes
ACN	359860
Time
Date	199702
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gve
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
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 descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zdc enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 8300
ASRS Report	359860
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was given a restr to cross 40 NM northeast of gordonsville VOR. The first officer was in the bathroom. When he returned a few mins later, I failed to inform him of the restr. We were engaged in conversation when we were contacted by ATC to see if we would make the crossing, which was only about 5 NM in front of us. We immediately began a descent to FL310 (from FL350) and leveled at FL310 about 5 NM beyond the crossing fix. The controller said this would not be a problem at all for him as long as we were level at FL330 within 15 NM.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT UNDERSHOT IN DSCNT. ALT XING RESTR NOT MET. FLC DISTR PERSONAL SOCIALIZING.

Narrative: I WAS GIVEN A RESTR TO CROSS 40 NM NE OF GORDONSVILLE VOR. THE FO WAS IN THE BATHROOM. WHEN HE RETURNED A FEW MINS LATER, I FAILED TO INFORM HIM OF THE RESTR. WE WERE ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION WHEN WE WERE CONTACTED BY ATC TO SEE IF WE WOULD MAKE THE XING, WHICH WAS ONLY ABOUT 5 NM IN FRONT OF US. WE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A DSCNT TO FL310 (FROM FL350) AND LEVELED AT FL310 ABOUT 5 NM BEYOND THE XING FIX. THE CTLR SAID THIS WOULD NOT BE A PROB AT ALL FOR HIM AS LONG AS WE WERE LEVEL AT FL330 WITHIN 15 NM.

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.