Date: 201506
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZDV.ARTCC, CO
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Descent
Airspace: Class A ZDV
ATC / advisory: Center ZDV
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Fatigue
Second reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; First Officer
Anomaly: Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met; Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: We were at FL320 and given clearance to descend via the ANCHR3 arrival which we were flying. The first fix with an altitude restriction is SUSHE at or above FL300. Next there's ANCHR with an at or above 17000 FT and then LANDR with a window of 17000 to FL220. In the descent I was focused on making LANDR and accidentally crossed SUSHE lower than the charted at or above FL300. ATC brought it to our attention and he said we crossed it at about FL290. I looked at my TCAS display to make sure there were no other aircraft that there could have been a problem with and didn't see any. ATC also said nothing of any conflicts. We continued on the arrival without further problems. When I fly these and am given a descend via clearance I start my descent so we will cross the first fix with a window a few hundred feet above the bottom altitude of the window. I usually look at the direct intercept page in the FMS to see what descent rate I need to make the top of that window. When it gets to 1500 FPM I start the descent at about 1800 FPM. In this case though I went with mental math. We were 45 miles from LANDR and 15000 above the bottom altitude there so I started my descent. I think I initially descended at 2200 FPM but shallowed it out a bit. This steeper descent angle combined with my focus on our altitude at LANDR led me miss that we were going to be low at SUSHE. Contributing to this was an expectancy that crossing SUSHE above its restriction would be no problem. This fix is far enough out that I usually cross it and still haven't started the descent (in the 200 usually cruising at FL320). So; even though I had confirmed all the fixes crossing restrictions were correct in the FMS compared to the chart and therefore cognitively recognized it; I inadverdently forgot about this restriction.  Also contributing to this event was a bit of fatigue. This was early morning on day 4 where all show times were early. On this day I awoke at 03:40 MDT for our report time. There is a cumulative effect of am trips that can lead to reduced pilot performance as the trip progresses. Each night I got around 8 hrs sleep but still felt this effect. Avoidance of this event would have been easy; as it has been hundreds of times before; had I not got so focused on the LANDR restriction and had kept with a tried and true method (direct intercept page descent rate) instead of the standard 3:1 descent profile.


Second narrative: We were cleared to descend via the ANCHR3 RNAV Arrival. After BFF; we descended to FL290 before reaching SUSHE that was listed as being at or above FL300. Denver Center notified us of our deviation. Factor 1: Cumulative fatigue as it was early morning on day four of our trip. Although I was not fatigued; I was not as sharp as when I showed up on day one.Factor 2: We were briefing the ILS approach to runway 35L and missed the altitude restriction at FL300.Factor 3: Every chart fell out of my Jeppesen binder (all charts from A-F). I was still trying to find the Denver ILS 35L approach plate. I spent the entire flight putting the book back in order.1: Be aware of the time you have been at work and prepare yourself to be more attentive on the last day of a trip.2: Plan approach briefings to be done at times without crossing restrictions and speed restrictions. Also a lower work environment. Also; continuous cross checking of the flight instruments during an approach would be a good idea.3: This one was self-explanatory. Try to keep your approach charts in the binder and not on the floor.


Synopsis: CRJ-200 flight crew reported overshooting an altitude restriction on a descend via clearance into DEN. Fatigue was cited as a factor.