Narrative:

Student first officer in IOE was flying aircraft en route from stl to ric. We were cleared to cross 15 mi west of flat rock (fak) at 9000 ft. Student miscalculated when to start down, resulting in late start of descent. I told him he was behind the descent profile and to expedite descent. He also miscalculated during the descent and did not realize that we were falling further behind the descent profile. I told him to use the spoilers and increase the rate of descent. I picked up the microphone to advise ATC that we would miss the crossing altitude but had to caution the first officer on the use of the spoilers. While we were doing this the controller handed us off to approach control. I decided to report that we would be high to approach control since we were leaving the center controller's airspace anyway. As I was switching frequencys I had to stop to correct the first officer again on expediting the descent, and answer a question. I mis-dialed the frequency, then had to wait for the new controller to finish a transmission, then my first transmission was blocked by another aircraft. When I was able to transmit again the controller told me I was on the wrong frequency and sent me back to the previous frequency. I went back, got the correct frequency, and by the time I got to approach we were level at 9000 ft anyway. We crossed our fix 1000 ft high, and were level at 9000 ft 5 mi late. The student was at the point in his training where I have to let him make his own mistakes and corrections. I should have informed ATC earlier, and before I left the center frequency. Then I would not have had a problem if there was a delay establishing contact on the new frequency. Also, I could have taken the airplane and ensured that we made the crossing if ATC indicated that being high was going to cause a conflict.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CREW DID NOT COMPLY WITH A XING RESTR.

Narrative: STUDENT FO IN IOE WAS FLYING ACFT ENRTE FROM STL TO RIC. WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS 15 MI W OF FLAT ROCK (FAK) AT 9000 FT. STUDENT MISCALCULATED WHEN TO START DOWN, RESULTING IN LATE START OF DSCNT. I TOLD HIM HE WAS BEHIND THE DSCNT PROFILE AND TO EXPEDITE DSCNT. HE ALSO MISCALCULATED DURING THE DSCNT AND DID NOT REALIZE THAT WE WERE FALLING FURTHER BEHIND THE DSCNT PROFILE. I TOLD HIM TO USE THE SPOILERS AND INCREASE THE RATE OF DSCNT. I PICKED UP THE MIKE TO ADVISE ATC THAT WE WOULD MISS THE XING ALT BUT HAD TO CAUTION THE FO ON THE USE OF THE SPOILERS. WHILE WE WERE DOING THIS THE CTLR HANDED US OFF TO APCH CTL. I DECIDED TO RPT THAT WE WOULD BE HIGH TO APCH CTL SINCE WE WERE LEAVING THE CTR CTLR'S AIRSPACE ANYWAY. AS I WAS SWITCHING FREQS I HAD TO STOP TO CORRECT THE FO AGAIN ON EXPEDITING THE DSCNT, AND ANSWER A QUESTION. I MIS-DIALED THE FREQ, THEN HAD TO WAIT FOR THE NEW CTLR TO FINISH A XMISSION, THEN MY FIRST XMISSION WAS BLOCKED BY ANOTHER ACFT. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO XMIT AGAIN THE CTLR TOLD ME I WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ AND SENT ME BACK TO THE PREVIOUS FREQ. I WENT BACK, GOT THE CORRECT FREQ, AND BY THE TIME I GOT TO APCH WE WERE LEVEL AT 9000 FT ANYWAY. WE CROSSED OUR FIX 1000 FT HIGH, AND WERE LEVEL AT 9000 FT 5 MI LATE. THE STUDENT WAS AT THE POINT IN HIS TRAINING WHERE I HAVE TO LET HIM MAKE HIS OWN MISTAKES AND CORRECTIONS. I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED ATC EARLIER, AND BEFORE I LEFT THE CTR FREQ. THEN I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD A PROB IF THERE WAS A DELAY ESTABLISHING CONTACT ON THE NEW FREQ. ALSO, I COULD HAVE TAKEN THE AIRPLANE AND ENSURED THAT WE MADE THE XING IF ATC INDICATED THAT BEING HIGH WAS GOING TO CAUSE A CONFLICT.

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.