AN ACR MLG FAILS TO MAKE AN ALT XING RESTR.

Narrative

WE WERE LEVEL AT FL330 AND GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS 10 MI N OF THE ST PETERSBURG VOR AT AND MAINTAIN FL270. I WAS THE PNF AND READ BACK THE CLRNC TO ATC. THE CAPT WHO WAS FLYING CONFIRMED THE CLRNC AND SAID HE WOULD START DOWN ABOUT 30 NM FROM ST PETERSBURG. I TOLD HIM I WAS OFF #1 RADIO TO CALL COMPANY AND DO OTHER RELATED DSCNT ITEMS. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND SAID THAT HE HAD #1 RADIO. I WAS BUSY WITH ASSOCIATED DUTIES WHEN I LOOKED AT OUR DISTANCE FROM ST PETERSBURG VOR. WE WERE 20 NM. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED WHAT I WAS DOING AND ASKED THE CAPT IF OUR CLRNC HAD CHANGED. HE SAID 'NO.' SO I SUGGESTED WE IMMEDIATELY START OUR DSCNT. WE DID THIS AND I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT CTR TO TELL THEM OF OUR SIT BUT THE FREQ WAS FAIRLY CONGESTED AND DIDN'T GET TO GET A CALL IN BEFORE WE WERE LEVEL AT FL270. WE WERE PROBABLY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT HIGH (200-300 FT) AT OUR RESTR. NO MENTION OF THIS WAS MADE BY CTR AS HE HANDED US OFF TO APCH. FACTORS IN THIS WERE OBVIOUSLY NOT STARTING OUR DSCNT IN TIME. THIS WAS CAUSED BY MYSELF NOT MONITORING THE #1 RADIO AND REMINDING THE CAPT EARLIER. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE CAPT BEING PREOCCUPIED WITH A NEWLY INSTALLED GPS UNIT INSTEAD OF MONITORING HIS POS.