Narrative:

While en route from evansville, in, to the atl airport on the rome 9 arrival, we as a flight crew of 2, found ourselves 800 ft high at our crossing intersection. We were to cross erlin intersection at 11000 ft. At the same time we discovered our error, ZTL asked us to say our altitude, but before we responded, ZTL then told us to contact approach control for our arrival into atl. As we descended at 3000 FPM, we were level at 11000 ft 20 seconds after erlin intersection. Also, with the TCASII aboard the aircraft, we were able to see faster traffic behind us at a safe distance as we expedited our descent to 11000 ft. Now with us level and clear of traffic, I contacted approach control as directed by the center controller. The problem arose as I was instructing a first officer on how to (believe it or not) calculate a vertical descent rate using the mach X pitch = vvi formula used by the military to come up with a descent rate to meet a crossing restr. A contributing factor was the late, or should I say, tight restriction placed on us to begin with by center which led to me coaching the first officer down in the first place. With the controller querying me about my altitude, and at the same time without a response to his first question, he then assigns a frequency change to approach. While I'm watching the altimeter and TCASII and giving instructions to the first officer to insure a safe ride, I am at this time overloaded to the point that I switch to approach as instructed, but I do not remember if I acknowledged the controller before I switched frequency. In 20 seconds time we were 1) clear of traffic, 2) level at 11000 ft, 3) on another frequency, 4) proceeding with an otherwise non eventful flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF EMB120 MISSED XING RESTR BY 800 FT AND 20 SECONDS. THEY WERE ASKED ALT AND TOLD TO CONTACT APCH WITH NO TIME FOR A RESPONSE AS THEY WERE DSNDING TO MEET THE XING RESTR.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE FROM EVANSVILLE, IN, TO THE ATL ARPT ON THE ROME 9 ARR, WE AS A FLC OF 2, FOUND OURSELVES 800 FT HIGH AT OUR XING INTXN. WE WERE TO CROSS ERLIN INTXN AT 11000 FT. AT THE SAME TIME WE DISCOVERED OUR ERROR, ZTL ASKED US TO SAY OUR ALT, BUT BEFORE WE RESPONDED, ZTL THEN TOLD US TO CONTACT APCH CTL FOR OUR ARR INTO ATL. AS WE DSNDED AT 3000 FPM, WE WERE LEVEL AT 11000 FT 20 SECONDS AFTER ERLIN INTXN. ALSO, WITH THE TCASII ABOARD THE ACFT, WE WERE ABLE TO SEE FASTER TFC BEHIND US AT A SAFE DISTANCE AS WE EXPEDITED OUR DSCNT TO 11000 FT. NOW WITH US LEVEL AND CLR OF TFC, I CONTACTED APCH CTL AS DIRECTED BY THE CTR CTLR. THE PROB AROSE AS I WAS INSTRUCTING A FO ON HOW TO (BELIEVE IT OR NOT) CALCULATE A VERT DSCNT RATE USING THE MACH X PITCH = VVI FORMULA USED BY THE MIL TO COME UP WITH A DSCNT RATE TO MEET A XING RESTR. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE LATE, OR SHOULD I SAY, TIGHT RESTRICTION PLACED ON US TO BEGIN WITH BY CTR WHICH LED TO ME COACHING THE FO DOWN IN THE FIRST PLACE. WITH THE CTLR QUERYING ME ABOUT MY ALT, AND AT THE SAME TIME WITHOUT A RESPONSE TO HIS FIRST QUESTION, HE THEN ASSIGNS A FREQ CHANGE TO APCH. WHILE I'M WATCHING THE ALTIMETER AND TCASII AND GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO THE FO TO INSURE A SAFE RIDE, I AM AT THIS TIME OVERLOADED TO THE POINT THAT I SWITCH TO APCH AS INSTRUCTED, BUT I DO NOT REMEMBER IF I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CTLR BEFORE I SWITCHED FREQ. IN 20 SECONDS TIME WE WERE 1) CLR OF TFC, 2) LEVEL AT 11000 FT, 3) ON ANOTHER FREQ, 4) PROCEEDING WITH AN OTHERWISE NON EVENTFUL FLT.

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.