B737 flight crew are unable to make a crossing restr assigned by controller at ZBW ARTCC.

Attributes
ACN	460310
Time
Date	200001
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : stela
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl single value : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Ice Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : swede 1
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	460310
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	460312
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Proceeding direct to stela at 280 KTS assigned. We were then cleared direct to bdl and to descend to 11000 ft. Controller asked if we could increase our rate of descent. Since we were already in level change mode, we asked if we could pick up our speed. Controller then reclred us to stela intersection, to cross stela intersection at 11000 ft. First officer may have read this back. While we were reprogramming the FMC for the swede arrival, we realized we were not going to make the crossing restr. At this point we were very close to stela, and first officer asked if he did indeed assign stela at 11000 ft. He said, 'yes I did, and it doesn't look like you will make it.' first officer replied, 'we are passing through 15000 ft.' controller came back with an unintelligible remark about notifying him sooner and gave us a frequency change. We do not believe there was a conflict. No further events. Having been cleared for a downrange fix (bdl), the FMC will dump all preceding fixes. When controller reclred us direct to stela, this requires several inputs on the FMC in order to call up the swede arrival, enter it, and then place the crossing restr into it. This created a high workload when we were already close to the crossing fix (stela) and descent profile.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC ARE UNABLE TO MAKE A XING RESTR ASSIGNED BY CTLR AT ZBW ARTCC.

Narrative: PROCEEDING DIRECT TO STELA AT 280 KTS ASSIGNED. WE WERE THEN CLRED DIRECT TO BDL AND TO DSND TO 11000 FT. CTLR ASKED IF WE COULD INCREASE OUR RATE OF DSCNT. SINCE WE WERE ALREADY IN LEVEL CHANGE MODE, WE ASKED IF WE COULD PICK UP OUR SPD. CTLR THEN RECLRED US TO STELA INTXN, TO CROSS STELA INTXN AT 11000 FT. FO MAY HAVE READ THIS BACK. WHILE WE WERE REPROGRAMMING THE FMC FOR THE SWEDE ARR, WE REALIZED WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE XING RESTR. AT THIS POINT WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO STELA, AND FO ASKED IF HE DID INDEED ASSIGN STELA AT 11000 FT. HE SAID, 'YES I DID, AND IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU WILL MAKE IT.' FO REPLIED, 'WE ARE PASSING THROUGH 15000 FT.' CTLR CAME BACK WITH AN UNINTELLIGIBLE REMARK ABOUT NOTIFYING HIM SOONER AND GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS A CONFLICT. NO FURTHER EVENTS. HAVING BEEN CLRED FOR A DOWNRANGE FIX (BDL), THE FMC WILL DUMP ALL PRECEDING FIXES. WHEN CTLR RECLRED US DIRECT TO STELA, THIS REQUIRES SEVERAL INPUTS ON THE FMC IN ORDER TO CALL UP THE SWEDE ARR, ENTER IT, AND THEN PLACE THE XING RESTR INTO IT. THIS CREATED A HIGH WORKLOAD WHEN WE WERE ALREADY CLOSE TO THE XING FIX (STELA) AND DSCNT PROFILE.

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.