Narrative:

We were arriving into oakland on the marvn one arrival. I was the first officer and PNF. Center gave us a crossing restr to cross volta intersection at 13000 ft. The captain had erroneously entered the crossing altitude in the FMS as marvn at 13000 ft. Marvn is 11 mi beyond volta. As we neared volta intersection, ZOA asked if we were going to be able to make the volta crossing altitude. At this point we saw that the FMS was programmed incorrectly. I responded saying, 'we might be high at volta.' our descent was drastically increased. We crossed volta at 13700 ft. ZOA then gave us further instructions without any indication that a loss of separation had occurred. The entire event would not have occurred if both pilots had been paying closer attention. I was backing up the navigation with raw data but never computed the descent distance mentally, nor did I ever check the computer for correct programming. Over-reliance on the FMS was the cause of this event. A contributing cause was a new arrival route. The marvn arrival had recently replaced the panoche two arrival. The feeling of being on a very familiar route was present even though it was made drastically different by being cleared a new routing. This may have contributed to our complacency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW IS UNABLE TO MEET THEIR ASSIGNED XING RESTR DUE TO THE FMS BEING IMPROPERLY PROGRAMMED.

Narrative: WE WERE ARRIVING INTO OAKLAND ON THE MARVN ONE ARR. I WAS THE FO AND PNF. CTR GAVE US A XING RESTR TO CROSS VOLTA INTXN AT 13000 FT. THE CAPT HAD ERRONEOUSLY ENTERED THE XING ALT IN THE FMS AS MARVN AT 13000 FT. MARVN IS 11 MI BEYOND VOLTA. AS WE NEARED VOLTA INTXN, ZOA ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE VOLTA XING ALT. AT THIS POINT WE SAW THAT THE FMS WAS PROGRAMMED INCORRECTLY. I RESPONDED SAYING, 'WE MIGHT BE HIGH AT VOLTA.' OUR DSCNT WAS DRASTICALLY INCREASED. WE CROSSED VOLTA AT 13700 FT. ZOA THEN GAVE US FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WITHOUT ANY INDICATION THAT A LOSS OF SEPARATION HAD OCCURRED. THE ENTIRE EVENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF BOTH PLTS HAD BEEN PAYING CLOSER ATTN. I WAS BACKING UP THE NAV WITH RAW DATA BUT NEVER COMPUTED THE DSCNT DISTANCE MENTALLY, NOR DID I EVER CHK THE COMPUTER FOR CORRECT PROGRAMMING. OVER-RELIANCE ON THE FMS WAS THE CAUSE OF THIS EVENT. A CONTRIBUTING CAUSE WAS A NEW ARR RTE. THE MARVN ARR HAD RECENTLY REPLACED THE PANOCHE TWO ARR. THE FEELING OF BEING ON A VERY FAMILIAR RTE WAS PRESENT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS MADE DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT BY BEING CLRED A NEW ROUTING. THIS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR COMPLACENCY.

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.