Narrative:

There is no vertical navigation information on the PMM4 arrival to ord. The captain and I had commented on that fact, and he agreed with me that we'd probably cross pappi intersect at 10000 ft. We were at FL260, and I computed that descent since on our old steam gauge DC9, we have no form of VNAV-or even ground speed readout! When we were told 'cross pivot at 10000 ft I heard' pappi, partly because I had noticed that there are two intersection on the same radial 22 miles have 2 syllables. My planning for pappi was good, but 22 miles past where I was supposed to reach 10000 ft. The captain noticed this a bit late and did not ask ATC for relief (which I should have told him to do!) full speed brakes and steepest descent later, I was almost level at 10000 ft by pivot -but not quite! I don't fly to ord often, and even more rarely from dtw. But you shouldn't have T be a 'regular' to know what to expect. 1) put 'expect to cross' information on this arrival as soon as possible, even though it will be extensive, given all the runway configurations at ord. 2)be sure that intersection names along the same arrival have as different a sound as possible! Even double checking myself in this situation did not help, because I had heard pappi, not pivot in the first place, and possibly even said 'pivot'-thinking 67 miles from pmm rather than 'oh that other 'P' intersection nat 45 DME!' in the EFIS C525 I used to fly it would have been right on my ehsi right in front of my face! Thanks for this great ASRS program.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW IN TURBO JET CROSS THE WRONG FIX AT 10000 FT AND UNDERSHOOT THE CROSSING RESTRICTION.

Narrative: THERE IS NO VERTICAL NAV INFO ON THE PMM4 ARR TO ORD. THE CAPT AND I HAD COMMENTED ON THAT FACT, AND HE AGREED WITH ME THAT WE'D PROBABLY CROSS PAPPI INTERSECT AT 10000 FT. WE WERE AT FL260, AND I COMPUTED THAT DSCNT SINCE ON OUR OLD STEAM GAUGE DC9, WE HAVE NO FORM OF VNAV-OR EVEN GND SPEED READOUT! WHEN WE WERE TOLD 'CROSS PIVOT AT 10000 FT I HEARD' PAPPI, PARTLY BECAUSE I HAD NOTICED THAT THERE ARE TWO INTXN ON THE SAME RADIAL 22 MILES HAVE 2 SYLLABLES. MY PLANNING FOR PAPPI WAS GOOD, BUT 22 MILES PAST WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO REACH 10000 FT. THE CAPT NOTICED THIS A BIT LATE AND DID NOT ASK ATC FOR RELIEF (WHICH I SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM TO DO!) FULL SPEED BRAKES AND STEEPEST DSCNT LATER, I WAS ALMOST LEVEL AT 10000 FT BY PIVOT -BUT NOT QUITE! I DON'T FLY TO ORD OFTEN, AND EVEN MORE RARELY FROM DTW. BUT YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE T BE A 'REGULAR' TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. 1) PUT 'EXPECT TO CROSS' INFO ON THIS ARR ASAP, EVEN THOUGH IT WILL BE EXTENSIVE, GIVEN ALL THE RWY CONFIGURATIONS AT ORD. 2)BE SURE THAT INTXN NAMES ALONG THE SAME ARR HAVE AS DIFFERENT A SOUND AS POSSIBLE! EVEN DOUBLE CHKING MYSELF IN THIS SIT DID NOT HELP, BECAUSE I HAD HEARD PAPPI, NOT PIVOT IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND POSSIBLY EVEN SAID 'PIVOT'-THINKING 67 MILES FROM PMM RATHER THAN 'OH THAT OTHER 'P' INTXN NAT 45 DME!' IN THE EFIS C525 I USED TO FLY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN RIGHT ON MY EHSI RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FACE! THANKS FOR THIS GREAT ASRS PROGRAM.

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.