A B737-700 FLC HAD DIFFICULTY PROGRAMMING THE FMS FOR DSCNT INTO MCO.

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WE WERE CLRED TO DSND FROM ALT (ABOUT FL330) TO CROSS LAMMA INTXN S OF OMN AT 12000 FT; 250 KIAS (BITHO ARR INTO MCO). THE CAPT; A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED PLT; WAS WORKING THE CDU TO PROGRAM THE DSCNT. WE STARTED DOWN ABOUT 50 OR 60 MI PRIOR TO THE INTXN. THE FMS WAS COMMANDING A RATHER SLOW DSCNT BECAUSE AS I RECOLLECT WE HAD A CROSS AT OR BELOW INTERMEDIATE ALT. THE CAPT WAS TRYING TO GET THE FMS TO RESPOND AND I DID NOT CALL FOR SPD BRAKES EARLY ENOUGH. ABOUT 10 MI AFTER PASSING OMN; WITH AROUND 7 MI TO GO TO REACH LAMMA; I POINTED OUT WE WEREN'T GOING TO MAKE LAMMA AT 12000 FT; 250 KTS SINCE WE WERE GOING THROUGH ABOUT 16000 FT OR 17000 FT STILL AT ABOUT 320 KIAS. THE CAPT TOLD ME TO INFORM CTR AND ASK FOR A VECTOR. CTR; OF COURSE; BECAME IRRITATED BECAUSE WE HAD WAITED SO LONG TO IDENT THE PROB. THE CAPT COMMANDED THE FMS TO FLY BASICALLY A STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 23 SINCE WE WERE HDG GENERALLY SW. THE FMS FLEW A PERFECT VISUAL. THE GSO CTLR ASKED US WHAT CTR HAD CLRED US TO FLY; IE; WHAT HDG. NEITHER THE CAPT NOR I REMEMBERED ANY SPECIFIC HDG OR CLRNC. WE JUST LET THE FMS DO ITS MAGIC. CRM DIDN'T WORK TOO WELL. THE CTLR DID NOT GET UPSET; AGREEING THAT THE SETUP FOR THE VISUAL BY THE FMS WAS A WORK OF ART. WHAT'S THE SOLUTION? I DON'T KNOW. CONCERNING CRM; I'VE TAUGHT IT OFF AND ON SINCE 1985. THE CONCEPT IS GREAT; BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK. I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD THROW IT OUT. QUITE THE CONTRARY. BUT THERE ARE NO CURE-ALLS FOR MISTAKES. WE HAVE TO KEEP TRYING. AS FOR FMS'S I'M LOW ON EXPERIENCE WITH ONLY ABOUT 150-200 HRS IN 2 TYPES OVER ABOUT 5 YRS; BOTH AS FO. BUT WHAT I'VE SEEN AND READ ABOUT FMS; GPS AND SIMILAR EQUIP REINFORCES THAT THE BASICS OF NAV AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS CAN'T BE OVEREMPHASIZED. CREWS SPEND A LOT OF TIME PUNCHING IN NUMBERS AND LETTERS INTO THE CDU. WHEN IT WORKS; IT WORKS WELL. BUT PROGRAMMING THE SYS IS SO LABOR INTENSIVE.