AN MLG DSNDING IN ZNY AIRSPACE MISSES THE XING RESTR AT 20 MI W OF LHY; PA.

Narrative

IN CRUISE BTWN CVG-SWF; ZNY CLRED ACFT FOR DSCNT. ACTUAL CLRNC 'CLRED DIRECT LHY CROSS 20 NM W AT FL190.' I STARTED DSCNT USING IAS FUNCTION OF AUTOPLT. I THEN PROGRAMMED THE FMS FOR THE RTE CHANGE AND ENTERED THE XING RESTR. HOWEVER; I NEVER SELECTED 'VNAV.' WHEN I NOTICED ACFT APCHING WAYPOINT (20 MI W LHY) FO CALLED TO MY ATTN WE WOULD HAVE TROUBLE MAKING THE ALT RESTR. WE LEVELED AT FL190 APPROX 5 MI LATE (15 NM SW LHY). CAUSE OF INCIDENT WAS MY LACK OF ATTN TO AUTOPLT/ACFT PERFORMANCE. A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR WAS THE VERY RECENT DEATH OF A VERY CLOSE RELATIVE (1 WK AGO) AND MY INABILITY TO CONCENTRATE AS WELL AS I USUALLY CAN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 387140: HE THEN PROGRAMMED THE FMS FOR THE RTE CHANGE AND ENTERED THE XING RESTR. 'NAV' WAS SELECTED. APCHING THE XING RESTR; I NOTICED THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TROUBLE MAKING THE RESTR AND REALIZED THE CAPT NEVER ENGAGED 'VNAV.' THE CAPT INCREASED TO THE MAX RATE OF DSCNT AND LEVELED THE ACFT AT FL190 APPROX 5 NM LATE. THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS LACK OF ATTN TO THE AUTOPLT/ACFT PERFORMANCE. COMPLACENCY AND OVERRELIANCE ON AUTOMATION WAS ALSO A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.