Medium Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Workload; Situational Awareness; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met; Deviation - Altitude Undershoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Procedure
After our second STAR change (of the three this afternoon); we also received a clearance to 'descend to FL340 then at pilot's discretion to descend to FL300 by CALVN.' CALVN is a fix on both new STARS into DTW: the HOTRD1 and CALVN1. CALVN1 serves Runways 4LR and 3LR whereas HOTRD1 serves the opposite direction runways. We descended and leveled at FL340 long before CALVN. I got a frequency change plus new ATIS and talked about another change to the arrival pending due to the opposite runways in use; and we also got an update from the Flight Attendant about a cabin item. I; as the Pilot Not Flying; failed to remind the Pilot Flying (PF) about the assigned altitude over CALVN that I read back but did not verify with the PF; either. Shortly before CALVN; ATC queried us about making FL300 by CALVN. We descended ASAP and missed the assigned FL by about 1500 FT over CALVN. We used max rate descent at idle power. ATC did not indicate there was an issue with traffic; nor did anything show on TCAS; other than general hollow-cyan colored diamond targets. ATC handed us to the next sector at FL300 and we continued without further event. The new direction dependent STARs into DTW are frequently switched and reassigned in flight and ATC seems to regularly assign the wrong STARS for the runways in use only to be switched multiple times per flight; even when the correct start was originally filed and/or cleared. Having multiple discussions in the cockpit about which STAR and altitudes are required causes confusion.
Captain reported failure to make a crossing restriction on descent into DTW; citing multiple arrival procedure changes by ATC as contributing.