Narrative:

We were descending into bwi when given clearance to cross 15 mi west of mrb at 15000 ft. I made a note to begin descent at 45 mi west to make the crossing. I then pulled out my approach plates and began my briefing. I would occasionally glance at the DME to check my distance, then go back to the brief, but sometime during the course of this, my VOR navigation was switched to bwi frequency. When we were 26 mi west of mrb, my first officer alerted me to the need to descend. I immediately throttled back and pulled the speed brakes and instructed the first officer to inform center that we wouldn't be able to make the crossing. This happened because 1) I was distraction by the briefing, 2) I wasn't giving enough thought to our position, and 3) I wasn't paying attention to the crew member's radio use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CAPT STARTED DSCNT TOO LATE TO MAKE ALT XING RESTR DUE TO DISTR OF CREW BRIEFING FOR THE APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING INTO BWI WHEN GIVEN CLRNC TO CROSS 15 MI W OF MRB AT 15000 FT. I MADE A NOTE TO BEGIN DSCNT AT 45 MI W TO MAKE THE XING. I THEN PULLED OUT MY APCH PLATES AND BEGAN MY BRIEFING. I WOULD OCCASIONALLY GLANCE AT THE DME TO CHK MY DISTANCE, THEN GO BACK TO THE BRIEF, BUT SOMETIME DURING THE COURSE OF THIS, MY VOR NAV WAS SWITCHED TO BWI FREQ. WHEN WE WERE 26 MI W OF MRB, MY FO ALERTED ME TO THE NEED TO DSND. I IMMEDIATELY THROTTLED BACK AND PULLED THE SPD BRAKES AND INSTRUCTED THE FO TO INFORM CTR THAT WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MAKE THE XING. THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE 1) I WAS DISTR BY THE BRIEFING, 2) I WASN'T GIVING ENOUGH THOUGHT TO OUR POS, AND 3) I WASN'T PAYING ATTN TO THE CREW MEMBER'S RADIO USE.

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.