B737 crew misses crossing restr over cutta.

Attributes
ACN	455420
Time
Date	199911
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl single value : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pit.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : cutta.2
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 12000
ASRS Report	455420
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On a 20 min flight, while captain was listening to ATIS, first officer was given a crossing restr for cutta at 10000 ft MSL and 210 KTS. This altitude was later confirmed by the captain. Arrival duties, checklists, WX briefing and CAT III briefing followed. Captain noticed aircraft was descending and MCP was in VNAV mode during checklists. Both pilots did not verify that aircraft would make the restr (11000 ft and 350 KTS at cutta). First officer thought that VNAV would be ok, and captain did not back it up due to other cockpit duties and high workload. FMC was probably past the point of descent and did not descend, even though the restr could have been made manually. Both pilots need to prioritize any clearance over other duties. First officer needed to figure out before descent what was needed and if FMC would be capable of doing it first.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW MISSES XING RESTR OVER CUTTA.

Narrative: ON A 20 MIN FLT, WHILE CAPT WAS LISTENING TO ATIS, FO WAS GIVEN A XING RESTR FOR CUTTA AT 10000 FT MSL AND 210 KTS. THIS ALT WAS LATER CONFIRMED BY THE CAPT. ARR DUTIES, CHKLISTS, WX BRIEFING AND CAT III BRIEFING FOLLOWED. CAPT NOTICED ACFT WAS DSNDING AND MCP WAS IN VNAV MODE DURING CHKLISTS. BOTH PLTS DID NOT VERIFY THAT ACFT WOULD MAKE THE RESTR (11000 FT AND 350 KTS AT CUTTA). FO THOUGHT THAT VNAV WOULD BE OK, AND CAPT DID NOT BACK IT UP DUE TO OTHER COCKPIT DUTIES AND HIGH WORKLOAD. FMC WAS PROBABLY PAST THE POINT OF DSCNT AND DID NOT DSND, EVEN THOUGH THE RESTR COULD HAVE BEEN MADE MANUALLY. BOTH PLTS NEED TO PRIORITIZE ANY CLRNC OVER OTHER DUTIES. FO NEEDED TO FIGURE OUT BEFORE DSCNT WHAT WAS NEEDED AND IF FMC WOULD BE CAPABLE OF DOING IT FIRST.

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.