Flight crew of widebody transport cargo flight fails to make the crossing restr on an arrival route....

Attributes
ACN	397167
Time
Date	199803
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pmd
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18000 msl bound upper : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla tower : mco
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	397167
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ZLA cleared us to cross 20 DME east of pmd VOR at FL180. I made 3 unsuccessful attempts to put this point on the FMS, as we started to descend. ATC asked if we were going to make the FL180 crossing altitude when I realized, with the help of the first officer, that either the ATC clearance was very late, or I did not come down fast enough. We crossed approximately 5000 ft high at FL230. If the fault was an unreasonable request from ATC, what can I say. However, it was more likely than not my fault. Situational awareness and FMS fixation seem to have caught me with my guard down. I have to be ready to down grade the automation in high traffic areas more quickly as well as be more attentive. After I landed in burbank I wrote the first side of this report. It is now the next day and after a good night's sleep I am reflecting again on what went wrong. I am looking at the lynxx seven arrival into burbank and it dawns on me that I briefed the ILS runway 8 into burbank but I never briefed the STAR. I punched it into the FMS before I left memphis but for some reason I really did not examine the STAR. I don't think I even had the constraints pictified on the nd (navigational display). As best as I can remember we almost missed the 13000 ft restr over pmd and the 8000 ft restr over janny. I am sure we hit those, but ATC might have another view. The more I think about this the more discouraged I get. As far as I know there were no traffic conflicts or reroutes of other aircraft, but the potential for serious mishap is very obvious to me. Most of my time is spent teaching in the simulator and giving check rides in the simulator to other pilots. When I fly the line I am going to have to be more focused on the task at hand. I will definitely be a more attentive pilot from now on. I will be remembering this experience for a long time. I only hope I did not screw up ZLA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF WDB CARGO FLT FAILS TO MAKE THE XING RESTR ON AN ARR RTE. THEY ARE QUERIED BY ATC PRIOR TO MISSING.

Narrative: ZLA CLRED US TO CROSS 20 DME E OF PMD VOR AT FL180. I MADE 3 UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO PUT THIS POINT ON THE FMS, AS WE STARTED TO DSND. ATC ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE FL180 XING ALT WHEN I REALIZED, WITH THE HELP OF THE FO, THAT EITHER THE ATC CLRNC WAS VERY LATE, OR I DID NOT COME DOWN FAST ENOUGH. WE CROSSED APPROX 5000 FT HIGH AT FL230. IF THE FAULT WAS AN UNREASONABLE REQUEST FROM ATC, WHAT CAN I SAY. HOWEVER, IT WAS MORE LIKELY THAN NOT MY FAULT. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND FMS FIXATION SEEM TO HAVE CAUGHT ME WITH MY GUARD DOWN. I HAVE TO BE READY TO DOWN GRADE THE AUTOMATION IN HIGH TFC AREAS MORE QUICKLY AS WELL AS BE MORE ATTENTIVE. AFTER I LANDED IN BURBANK I WROTE THE FIRST SIDE OF THIS RPT. IT IS NOW THE NEXT DAY AND AFTER A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP I AM REFLECTING AGAIN ON WHAT WENT WRONG. I AM LOOKING AT THE LYNXX SEVEN ARR INTO BURBANK AND IT DAWNS ON ME THAT I BRIEFED THE ILS RWY 8 INTO BURBANK BUT I NEVER BRIEFED THE STAR. I PUNCHED IT INTO THE FMS BEFORE I LEFT MEMPHIS BUT FOR SOME REASON I REALLY DID NOT EXAMINE THE STAR. I DON'T THINK I EVEN HAD THE CONSTRAINTS PICTIFIED ON THE ND (NAVIGATIONAL DISPLAY). AS BEST AS I CAN REMEMBER WE ALMOST MISSED THE 13000 FT RESTR OVER PMD AND THE 8000 FT RESTR OVER JANNY. I AM SURE WE HIT THOSE, BUT ATC MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER VIEW. THE MORE I THINK ABOUT THIS THE MORE DISCOURAGED I GET. AS FAR AS I KNOW THERE WERE NO TFC CONFLICTS OR REROUTES OF OTHER ACFT, BUT THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS MISHAP IS VERY OBVIOUS TO ME. MOST OF MY TIME IS SPENT TEACHING IN THE SIMULATOR AND GIVING CHK RIDES IN THE SIMULATOR TO OTHER PLTS. WHEN I FLY THE LINE I AM GOING TO HAVE TO BE MORE FOCUSED ON THE TASK AT HAND. I WILL DEFINITELY BE A MORE ATTENTIVE PLT FROM NOW ON. I WILL BE REMEMBERING THIS EXPERIENCE FOR A LONG TIME. I ONLY HOPE I DID NOT SCREW UP ZLA.

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.

Flight crew of widebody transport cargo flight fails to make the crossing restr on an arrival route. They are queried by ATC prior to missing.