Narrative:

ATC gave us a crossing restr, FL250, 80 NM south of dqn. We were en route from atl to tol. Captain was PNF and made radio calls and set altitude in altitude alerter/FMS crossing restr. First officer acknowledged. FMS VNAV information was set to first officer's side, however, captain didn't realize that his (first officer's) 'scale' was set to only 20 NM. Crossing restr came and went without captain noticing, for lack of VNAV information. First officer was temporarily distraction while looking up information relative to an upcoming proficiency check ride. Center frequency change was made and crossing restr reported. Later, new ATC frequency queried about our crossing restr when assigning us to FL240. That is when we realized we had never initiated our descent from FL280 to FL250 because: a) first officer's scale setting on FMS was set to 20 NM, not allowing proper monitoring of upcoming 'TOD' point, B) first officer was distraction by reading poh, C) captain was not monitoring first officer closely enough or maintaining sufficient 'situational awareness.' ATC told us it was 'not a problem,' just wanted us to know we'd missed our crossing restr. It was a late night flight and not a lot of traffic was operating. ATC also failed to notice that we'd never begun our descent, when, usually, if heavier traffic is being experienced, they will prompt us to begin descent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 FLT CREW FAIL TO MEET A DSCNT XING RESTR IN ZID AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ATC GAVE US A XING RESTR, FL250, 80 NM S OF DQN. WE WERE ENRTE FROM ATL TO TOL. CAPT WAS PNF AND MADE RADIO CALLS AND SET ALT IN ALT ALERTER/FMS XING RESTR. FO ACKNOWLEDGED. FMS VNAV INFO WAS SET TO FO'S SIDE, HOWEVER, CAPT DIDN'T REALIZE THAT HIS (FO'S) 'SCALE' WAS SET TO ONLY 20 NM. XING RESTR CAME AND WENT WITHOUT CAPT NOTICING, FOR LACK OF VNAV INFO. FO WAS TEMPORARILY DISTR WHILE LOOKING UP INFO RELATIVE TO AN UPCOMING PROFICIENCY CHK RIDE. CTR FREQ CHANGE WAS MADE AND XING RESTR RPTED. LATER, NEW ATC FREQ QUERIED ABOUT OUR XING RESTR WHEN ASSIGNING US TO FL240. THAT IS WHEN WE REALIZED WE HAD NEVER INITIATED OUR DSCNT FROM FL280 TO FL250 BECAUSE: A) FO'S SCALE SETTING ON FMS WAS SET TO 20 NM, NOT ALLOWING PROPER MONITORING OF UPCOMING 'TOD' POINT, B) FO WAS DISTR BY READING POH, C) CAPT WAS NOT MONITORING FO CLOSELY ENOUGH OR MAINTAINING SUFFICIENT 'SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.' ATC TOLD US IT WAS 'NOT A PROB,' JUST WANTED US TO KNOW WE'D MISSED OUR XING RESTR. IT WAS A LATE NIGHT FLT AND NOT A LOT OF TFC WAS OPERATING. ATC ALSO FAILED TO NOTICE THAT WE'D NEVER BEGUN OUR DSCNT, WHEN, USUALLY, IF HEAVIER TFC IS BEING EXPERIENCED, THEY WILL PROMPT US TO BEGIN DSCNT.

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.