B737-400
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human-Machine Interface; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure
Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Human Factors
Prior to initial descent; at FL310; ATC had assigned a crossing restriction of FL290 at a specific fix. The First Officer was pilot flying. The autopilot was ON with FL290 selected [in the altitude alert]; fix information designated; LNAV ON; and VNAV engaged to do an idle descent. Just as the autopilot was about to begin the descent; ATC called to ask if we were going to make the crossing restriction. I replied with a yes but the First Officer was apparently startled and reacted by taking the aircraft controls and disengaging the autopilot which resulted in the aircraft not beginning its planned idle descent. I told the First Officer to use the speedbrake to get the aircraft down but he was not responding so I activated the speedbrakes. The First Officer was still not responding adequately enough. I told him to push the nose over and use increased speed to get it down but he still did not respond quick enough; seeming to do a gradual descent; resulting in us missing the crossing restriction by 1;500 FT.
Despite having programmed ATC's descent crossing restriction; the flight crew of a B737-400 failed to comply when the pilot flying disconnected the autoflight system and initiated a descent rate less than that required to comply.