Narrative:

We were descending into ewr on the dylin 2 arrival. The arrival has many crossing restrs which I preprogrammed into the FMS VNAV. The first 2 crossing restrs required crossing the fixes at or above an altitude and the third crossing restr required crossing the fix between 11000 ft and 13000 ft. The descent rate displayed by the FMS to cross the third crossing restr between 12000 ft and 13000 ft was 1500 FPM. This rate met the first 2 at or above crossing restrs so I began descending at 1500 FPM. We met the first 2 crossing restrs but upon crossing the second fix the FMS updated our descent rate to meet the third restr and displayed a descent rate of 5400 FPM. I began descending as rapidly as possible but we crossed the fix approximately 2000 ft too high. As soon as we were aware that we were not going to make the restr we advised ATC. After analyzing what happened, I determined that I did not interpretation the FMS information correctly. At the time I thought the descent rate information from the FMS was the descent rate required to meet the restrs from our present position. In fact the descent rate information displayed is the descent rate required to meet the restr if the prior crossing restr is met at the minimum altitude. Because I did not cross the prior fix at the minimum altitude when we passed this fix, the FMS updated its information and showed that we were high. At this point there was insufficient time to recover. In the future, I will descend to meet crossing restrs at the minimum altitudes. I believe better training on the use of the FMS and an improved display could have prevented this occurrence. Perhaps the FMS could be designed to provide an advisory when the prescribed descent rate approachs a rate beyond the aircraft performance capabilities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF E135 FAILS TO MAKE DSCNT XING RESTR ON DYLIN ARR TO EWR.

Narrative: WE WERE DSNDING INTO EWR ON THE DYLIN 2 ARR. THE ARR HAS MANY XING RESTRS WHICH I PREPROGRAMMED INTO THE FMS VNAV. THE FIRST 2 XING RESTRS REQUIRED XING THE FIXES AT OR ABOVE AN ALT AND THE THIRD XING RESTR REQUIRED XING THE FIX BTWN 11000 FT AND 13000 FT. THE DSCNT RATE DISPLAYED BY THE FMS TO CROSS THE THIRD XING RESTR BTWN 12000 FT AND 13000 FT WAS 1500 FPM. THIS RATE MET THE FIRST 2 AT OR ABOVE XING RESTRS SO I BEGAN DSNDING AT 1500 FPM. WE MET THE FIRST 2 XING RESTRS BUT UPON XING THE SECOND FIX THE FMS UPDATED OUR DSCNT RATE TO MEET THE THIRD RESTR AND DISPLAYED A DSCNT RATE OF 5400 FPM. I BEGAN DSNDING AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE BUT WE CROSSED THE FIX APPROX 2000 FT TOO HIGH. AS SOON AS WE WERE AWARE THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RESTR WE ADVISED ATC. AFTER ANALYZING WHAT HAPPENED, I DETERMINED THAT I DID NOT INTERP THE FMS INFO CORRECTLY. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT THE DSCNT RATE INFO FROM THE FMS WAS THE DSCNT RATE REQUIRED TO MEET THE RESTRS FROM OUR PRESENT POS. IN FACT THE DSCNT RATE INFO DISPLAYED IS THE DSCNT RATE REQUIRED TO MEET THE RESTR IF THE PRIOR XING RESTR IS MET AT THE MINIMUM ALT. BECAUSE I DID NOT CROSS THE PRIOR FIX AT THE MINIMUM ALT WHEN WE PASSED THIS FIX, THE FMS UPDATED ITS INFO AND SHOWED THAT WE WERE HIGH. AT THIS POINT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME TO RECOVER. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL DSND TO MEET XING RESTRS AT THE MINIMUM ALTS. I BELIEVE BETTER TRAINING ON THE USE OF THE FMS AND AN IMPROVED DISPLAY COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE. PERHAPS THE FMS COULD BE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE AN ADVISORY WHEN THE PRESCRIBED DSCNT RATE APCHS A RATE BEYOND THE ACFT PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES.

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.