Narrative:

Air carrier was proceeding along J26, en route from ord to elp. After crossing row VOR, without a descent clearance from ZAB, I advised the first officer to make a request to the center for a descent. At the time, we were level at FL310, and exactly on the airway. Our DME from row VOR was 10 DME, and I was anticipating an approach to runway 22 at el paso. ATC cleared us to descend and maintain FL280. We established a descent rate of approximately 1500 FPM, and leveled off at FL280. We were advised at 84 DME from elp VOR to expect further clearance for descent in '2 minutes'. At 70 DME from elp VOR, I commented to the cockpit crew that we were running out of time for a comfortable descent. At 60 DME, we again called ZAB, and advised the controller that we needed to make a descent. At 54 DME, we were given clearance to descend and maintain 12,000'. We advised the controller that we would not be able to accomplish a comfortable descent from that position, and we would need a 360 degree turn. We were given a 160 degree assigned heading. We flew the assigned heading, and were then advised to 'descend at your best forward speed'. I transferred control of the aircraft to the first officer, and advised the controller that I would not be able to expedite my descent and provide my best forward speed and arrive at elp in a position to execute a normal approach to runway 22 (winds at elp were 100 degree at 10 KTS). I went on to say that our procedures and the capabilities of an large transport dictate that we cannot perform this descent and approach without additional time. I therefore requested, again, a 360 degree turn. At 28 DME from elp VOR, and approximately 33 NM from the approach end of runway 22, we were 12,000' afl clean confign, and 280 KIAS. We leveled at 12,000 MSL (approximately 6600' afl), and were handed over to el paso approach. I telephoned elp FSS, and advised the man who answered that I wanted to speak to ZAB, watch supervisor. The supervisor called and asked me what the problem was. I explained to him that an large transport cannot operate within the guidelines of normally accepted procedures, given the handling I received. I was told that when I had requested descent from FL310, opposite direction traffic at FL270 was preventing my further clearance below FL280 (this traffic was never mentioned). In addition, an fgt was behind me, necessitating my 'best forward speed'. Also, I was denied a 360 degree turn because of 'hot MOA's east and west of J26. I was never offered a turn off the airway to avoid the opposite direction traffic at FL270, nor a descent to FL200 over talon MOA which would have at least contributed to a better descent profile and which would not have encroached on talon MOA airspace! The fgt behind me was never slowed! Finally, the supervisor told me that I had a bad attitude because I only cared about my descent and did not care about his 'bigger problem' of traffic separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT HELD HIGH TOO CLOSE IN TO MAKE PROPER DESCENT. REQUESTED LOWER ALT, REQUESTED THREE SIXTY DEGREE TURN, TOLD TO MAINTAIN BEST FORWARD SPEED.

Narrative: ACR WAS PROCEEDING ALONG J26, ENRTE FROM ORD TO ELP. AFTER XING ROW VOR, WITHOUT A DSCNT CLRNC FROM ZAB, I ADVISED THE F/O TO MAKE A REQUEST TO THE CENTER FOR A DSCNT. AT THE TIME, WE WERE LEVEL AT FL310, AND EXACTLY ON THE AIRWAY. OUR DME FROM ROW VOR WAS 10 DME, AND I WAS ANTICIPATING AN APCH TO RWY 22 AT EL PASO. ATC CLRED US TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL280. WE ESTABLISHED A DSCNT RATE OF APPROX 1500 FPM, AND LEVELED OFF AT FL280. WE WERE ADVISED AT 84 DME FROM ELP VOR TO EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC FOR DSCNT IN '2 MINUTES'. AT 70 DME FROM ELP VOR, I COMMENTED TO THE COCKPIT CREW THAT WE WERE RUNNING OUT OF TIME FOR A COMFORTABLE DSCNT. AT 60 DME, WE AGAIN CALLED ZAB, AND ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE A DSCNT. AT 54 DME, WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO DSND AND MAINTAIN 12,000'. WE ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH A COMFORTABLE DSCNT FROM THAT POSITION, AND WE WOULD NEED A 360 DEG TURN. WE WERE GIVEN A 160 DEG ASSIGNED HDG. WE FLEW THE ASSIGNED HDG, AND WERE THEN ADVISED TO 'DSND AT YOUR BEST FORWARD SPEED'. I TRANSFERRED CONTROL OF THE ACFT TO THE F/O, AND ADVISED THE CTLR THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EXPEDITE MY DSCNT AND PROVIDE MY BEST FORWARD SPEED AND ARRIVE AT ELP IN A POSITION TO EXECUTE A NORMAL APCH TO RWY 22 (WINDS AT ELP WERE 100 DEG AT 10 KTS). I WENT ON TO SAY THAT OUR PROCS AND THE CAPABILITIES OF AN LGT DICTATE THAT WE CANNOT PERFORM THIS DSCNT AND APCH WITHOUT ADDITIONAL TIME. I THEREFORE REQUESTED, AGAIN, A 360 DEG TURN. AT 28 DME FROM ELP VOR, AND APPROX 33 NM FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 22, WE WERE 12,000' AFL CLEAN CONFIGN, AND 280 KIAS. WE LEVELED AT 12,000 MSL (APPROX 6600' AFL), AND WERE HANDED OVER TO EL PASO APCH. I TELEPHONED ELP FSS, AND ADVISED THE MAN WHO ANSWERED THAT I WANTED TO SPEAK TO ZAB, WATCH SUPVR. THE SUPVR CALLED AND ASKED ME WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT AN LGT CANNOT OPERATE WITHIN THE GUIDELINES OF NORMALLY ACCEPTED PROCS, GIVEN THE HANDLING I RECEIVED. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN I HAD REQUESTED DSCNT FROM FL310, OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT FL270 WAS PREVENTING MY FURTHER CLRNC BELOW FL280 (THIS TFC WAS NEVER MENTIONED). IN ADDITION, AN FGT WAS BEHIND ME, NECESSITATING MY 'BEST FORWARD SPEED'. ALSO, I WAS DENIED A 360 DEG TURN BECAUSE OF 'HOT MOA'S EAST AND WEST OF J26. I WAS NEVER OFFERED A TURN OFF THE AIRWAY TO AVOID THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT FL270, NOR A DSCNT TO FL200 OVER TALON MOA WHICH WOULD HAVE AT LEAST CONTRIBUTED TO A BETTER DSCNT PROFILE AND WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE ENCROACHED ON TALON MOA AIRSPACE! THE FGT BEHIND ME WAS NEVER SLOWED! FINALLY, THE SUPVR TOLD ME THAT I HAD A BAD ATTITUDE BECAUSE I ONLY CARED ABOUT MY DSCNT AND DID NOT CARE ABOUT HIS 'BIGGER PROBLEM' OF TFC SEPARATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.