First officer of a DC9 misinterped STAR chart causing undershooting crossing fix.

Attributes
ACN	471190
Time
Date	200004
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	descent : vacating altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : n/s
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 15000
ASRS Report	471190
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : altimeter 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:

We were on a short segment from esd to msp with a new first officer in the right seat. We were given a crossing restr for shonn intersection at 11000 ft, 31 DME. My first officer was flying and had been having difficulty figuring out dscnts. We discussed the profile and when he should start down, then I made the passenger/flight attendant PA and performed the descent check. When I got back in the loop, I noticed that we were at 31 DME and at 13000 ft. We had missed the crossing restr by 2000 ft. When I mentioned it to my first officer, he thought that he was ahead of schedule. He had mistakenly interpreted the STAR and thought that shonn was 11 DME. Conclusion: never take your eye off of a new first officer, and perhaps the charts should depict intxns where DME is used in bold or some other means so as to not be confused with DME segments.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF A DC9 MISINTERPED STAR CHART CAUSING UNDERSHOOTING XING FIX.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A SHORT SEGMENT FROM ESD TO MSP WITH A NEW FO IN THE R SEAT. WE WERE GIVEN A XING RESTR FOR SHONN INTXN AT 11000 FT, 31 DME. MY FO WAS FLYING AND HAD BEEN HAVING DIFFICULTY FIGURING OUT DSCNTS. WE DISCUSSED THE PROFILE AND WHEN HE SHOULD START DOWN, THEN I MADE THE PAX/FLT ATTENDANT PA AND PERFORMED THE DSCNT CHK. WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE LOOP, I NOTICED THAT WE WERE AT 31 DME AND AT 13000 FT. WE HAD MISSED THE XING RESTR BY 2000 FT. WHEN I MENTIONED IT TO MY FO, HE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. HE HAD MISTAKENLY INTERPED THE STAR AND THOUGHT THAT SHONN WAS 11 DME. CONCLUSION: NEVER TAKE YOUR EYE OFF OF A NEW FO, AND PERHAPS THE CHARTS SHOULD DEPICT INTXNS WHERE DME IS USED IN BOLD OR SOME OTHER MEANS SO AS TO NOT BE CONFUSED WITH DME SEGMENTS.

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.