DC9-40 crew forgot an ATC assigned altitude crossing restr in ZNY class a.

Attributes
ACN	532998
Time
Date	200112
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : har.vortac
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 25000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival star : bunts.1
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	532998
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert flight crew : returned to assigned altitude none taken : insufficient time
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

In cruise flight, on bunts 1 arrival into phl, given clearance to proceed direct to har and cross 40 mi west at FL250. First officer acknowledged clearance with ATC. Set 25000 ft in awi and called it out. Captain responded with altitude cleared to and crossing fix. Captain picked his descent point and continued with PF duties. Captain and first officer started to listen to ATC conversation with another aircraft. Captain called flight attendant and asked for coffee. During this time first officer was performing appropriate duties, updating phl arrival ATIS. Captain opened cockpit door and received his coffee. Within mins ATC asked us if we would make the crossing restr. This occurred at 44 DME west of har. Captain started descent, idle and boards, and directed first officer to tell ATC we were beginning descent but would not make crossing at FL250. No response from ATC. At 40 DME captain directed first officer to tell ATC the crossing altitude (FL275), no response from ATC. We were level at FL250 at 36 DME. Captain directed first officer to report level at FL250. No response from ATC. Moments later ATC gave us a frequency change and we continued on the arrival to phl. The crew allowed themselves to become distracted with an ATC conversation that did not concern our flight. The crew was also distracted by opening and closing the cockpit door which had become a 2 people job with that new xbar installed. We are not sure at what point we forgot the descent clearance, but we were rapidly brought back to what we should have been doing with ATC's call.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9-40 CREW FORGOT AN ATC ASSIGNED ALT XING RESTR IN ZNY CLASS A.

Narrative: IN CRUISE FLT, ON BUNTS 1 ARR INTO PHL, GIVEN CLRNC TO PROCEED DIRECT TO HAR AND CROSS 40 MI W AT FL250. FO ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC WITH ATC. SET 25000 FT IN AWI AND CALLED IT OUT. CAPT RESPONDED WITH ALT CLRED TO AND XING FIX. CAPT PICKED HIS DSCNT POINT AND CONTINUED WITH PF DUTIES. CAPT AND FO STARTED TO LISTEN TO ATC CONVERSATION WITH ANOTHER ACFT. CAPT CALLED FLT ATTENDANT AND ASKED FOR COFFEE. DURING THIS TIME FO WAS PERFORMING APPROPRIATE DUTIES, UPDATING PHL ARR ATIS. CAPT OPENED COCKPIT DOOR AND RECEIVED HIS COFFEE. WITHIN MINS ATC ASKED US IF WE WOULD MAKE THE XING RESTR. THIS OCCURRED AT 44 DME W OF HAR. CAPT STARTED DSCNT, IDLE AND BOARDS, AND DIRECTED FO TO TELL ATC WE WERE BEGINNING DSCNT BUT WOULD NOT MAKE XING AT FL250. NO RESPONSE FROM ATC. AT 40 DME CAPT DIRECTED FO TO TELL ATC THE XING ALT (FL275), NO RESPONSE FROM ATC. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL250 AT 36 DME. CAPT DIRECTED FO TO RPT LEVEL AT FL250. NO RESPONSE FROM ATC. MOMENTS LATER ATC GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE AND WE CONTINUED ON THE ARR TO PHL. THE CREW ALLOWED THEMSELVES TO BECOME DISTRACTED WITH AN ATC CONVERSATION THAT DID NOT CONCERN OUR FLT. THE CREW WAS ALSO DISTRACTED BY OPENING AND CLOSING THE COCKPIT DOOR WHICH HAD BECOME A 2 PEOPLE JOB WITH THAT NEW XBAR INSTALLED. WE ARE NOT SURE AT WHAT POINT WE FORGOT THE DSCNT CLRNC, BUT WE WERE RAPIDLY BROUGHT BACK TO WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING WITH ATC'S CALL.

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.