MD88 flight crew misses crossing restr on arrival to rmg, al.

Attributes
ACN	423310
Time
Date	199812
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rmg
State Reference	AL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 12152 flight time type : 1550
ASRS Report	423310
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This was a very busy time in the cockpit. Checklist, nonstop controller instruction to us and other aircraft, turning on engine and wing heat, communicating with flight attendants and, lest we forget, flying the airplane. My recollection of the descent planning is as follows: starting down 40 NM prior to rmg would give me 49 NM to descend 13000 ft and slow to 250 KTS. The FMS verified my figures and I padded with a dummy fix 5 NM short of the actual restr fix, erlin. This information had been loaded and verified by both pilots. ATC cleared us back direct to erlin after the 200 degree vector. I turned the aircraft with heading select. The first officer 'helped' by setting up and engaging direct erlin while I talked to the flight attendants about the upcoming turbulence. I believe this to be our biggest error. Direct erlin bypassed the ERL01 dummy fix containing the crossing restr. The FMS bottom of descent display then shifted to the approach IAF altitude and airspeed, thus the primary navigation display correctly showed us below the programmed descent path, as expected. The change was subtle enough that I did not notice it on the des page of the FMS. Also, the tailwind continued to blow us east as we vectored to the south further worsening the problem. In closing, there are lots of reasons, but no excuse. To see that this mistake does not happen again, I will modify my techniques for loading dummy fixes for descent purposes. I will also brief that only 1 hand should talk to the plane, and that being the PF. Further, FMS inputs are not time critical enough to warrant this much help. I am not blaming the first officer. He was just trying to help his captain at a very event compressed time of our flight. I know from experience that sometimes the hardest thing to do is situation on your hands. Unfortunately, this is a problem brought on by each advance in automation, but regardless of what one hand is doing, the pilot's hand must be flying the airplane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLC MISSES XING RESTR ON ARR TO RMG, AL.

Narrative: THIS WAS A VERY BUSY TIME IN THE COCKPIT. CHKLIST, NONSTOP CTLR INSTRUCTION TO US AND OTHER ACFT, TURNING ON ENG AND WING HEAT, COMMUNICATING WITH FLT ATTENDANTS AND, LEST WE FORGET, FLYING THE AIRPLANE. MY RECOLLECTION OF THE DSCNT PLANNING IS AS FOLLOWS: STARTING DOWN 40 NM PRIOR TO RMG WOULD GIVE ME 49 NM TO DSND 13000 FT AND SLOW TO 250 KTS. THE FMS VERIFIED MY FIGURES AND I PADDED WITH A DUMMY FIX 5 NM SHORT OF THE ACTUAL RESTR FIX, ERLIN. THIS INFO HAD BEEN LOADED AND VERIFIED BY BOTH PLTS. ATC CLRED US BACK DIRECT TO ERLIN AFTER THE 200 DEG VECTOR. I TURNED THE ACFT WITH HDG SELECT. THE FO 'HELPED' BY SETTING UP AND ENGAGING DIRECT ERLIN WHILE I TALKED TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT THE UPCOMING TURB. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE OUR BIGGEST ERROR. DIRECT ERLIN BYPASSED THE ERL01 DUMMY FIX CONTAINING THE XING RESTR. THE FMS BOTTOM OF DSCNT DISPLAY THEN SHIFTED TO THE APCH IAF ALT AND AIRSPD, THUS THE PRIMARY NAV DISPLAY CORRECTLY SHOWED US BELOW THE PROGRAMMED DSCNT PATH, AS EXPECTED. THE CHANGE WAS SUBTLE ENOUGH THAT I DID NOT NOTICE IT ON THE DES PAGE OF THE FMS. ALSO, THE TAILWIND CONTINUED TO BLOW US E AS WE VECTORED TO THE S FURTHER WORSENING THE PROB. IN CLOSING, THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS, BUT NO EXCUSE. TO SEE THAT THIS MISTAKE DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, I WILL MODIFY MY TECHNIQUES FOR LOADING DUMMY FIXES FOR DSCNT PURPOSES. I WILL ALSO BRIEF THAT ONLY 1 HAND SHOULD TALK TO THE PLANE, AND THAT BEING THE PF. FURTHER, FMS INPUTS ARE NOT TIME CRITICAL ENOUGH TO WARRANT THIS MUCH HELP. I AM NOT BLAMING THE FO. HE WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP HIS CAPT AT A VERY EVENT COMPRESSED TIME OF OUR FLT. I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE THAT SOMETIMES THE HARDEST THING TO DO IS SIT ON YOUR HANDS. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS A PROB BROUGHT ON BY EACH ADVANCE IN AUTOMATION, BUT REGARDLESS OF WHAT ONE HAND IS DOING, THE PLT'S HAND MUST BE FLYING THE AIRPLANE.

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.