Narrative:

Center (washington) had cleared us to cross doccs at 15000'. We leveled at 15000' prior to doccs at our normal descent speed of 320 KIAS. We were handed off to dulles approach. I made 4 attempts to contact approach after the handoff. Frequency was busy, but not overcrowded, and other flts were making multiple calls to check in also. I made a fifth call, 'approach abc-245, do you read?' the response was, 'roger, cross 5 west of armel VORTAC 11000 and 250 KIAS.' we were at the 15 DME arc at this time and I replied that, 'we may not be able to do that,' after I read the clearance back. This aircraft has performance characteristics that do not permit a 70 KIAS speed reduction and 4000' of altitude loss in 9 NM. We were turned to a 360 degree heading and we complied and asked when to slow to 250 KIAS. No response again. I asked again and xyz-245 was erroneously called 'abc'-245--slow to 250 out of 12000, direct armel.' now xyz-245 and this crew is wondering and questioning who the last clearance was for (they are just in front of us in arrival sequence). The controller's voice changes, instructions are clarified, traffic turned toward armel and now cleared to cross armel at 8000' and a handoff made to another approach frequency. Factors: 1) controller overloaded (either frequency combination or training in progress). 2) controller unfamiliarity with descent characteristics of new generation aircraft. 3) arrival has only doccs crossing depicted, but we always cross armel at 8000' and have some speed and crossing restriction prior to aml, but after doccs. 4) arrival should be modified with additional notes to aid both pilot and controller to make the system work.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG ON DESCENT HAD PROBLEM COMPLYING WITH SLOW DOWN, GO DOWN CLRNC.

Narrative: CENTER (WASHINGTON) HAD CLRED US TO CROSS DOCCS AT 15000'. WE LEVELED AT 15000' PRIOR TO DOCCS AT OUR NORMAL DSCNT SPD OF 320 KIAS. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO DULLES APCH. I MADE 4 ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT APCH AFTER THE HDOF. FREQ WAS BUSY, BUT NOT OVERCROWDED, AND OTHER FLTS WERE MAKING MULTIPLE CALLS TO CHK IN ALSO. I MADE A FIFTH CALL, 'APCH ABC-245, DO YOU READ?' THE RESPONSE WAS, 'ROGER, CROSS 5 W OF ARMEL VORTAC 11000 AND 250 KIAS.' WE WERE AT THE 15 DME ARC AT THIS TIME AND I REPLIED THAT, 'WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT,' AFTER I READ THE CLRNC BACK. THIS ACFT HAS PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS THAT DO NOT PERMIT A 70 KIAS SPD REDUCTION AND 4000' OF ALT LOSS IN 9 NM. WE WERE TURNED TO A 360 DEG HDG AND WE COMPLIED AND ASKED WHEN TO SLOW TO 250 KIAS. NO RESPONSE AGAIN. I ASKED AGAIN AND XYZ-245 WAS ERRONEOUSLY CALLED 'ABC'-245--SLOW TO 250 OUT OF 12000, DIRECT ARMEL.' NOW XYZ-245 AND THIS CREW IS WONDERING AND QUESTIONING WHO THE LAST CLRNC WAS FOR (THEY ARE JUST IN FRONT OF US IN ARR SEQUENCE). THE CTLR'S VOICE CHANGES, INSTRUCTIONS ARE CLARIFIED, TFC TURNED TOWARD ARMEL AND NOW CLRED TO CROSS ARMEL AT 8000' AND A HDOF MADE TO ANOTHER APCH FREQ. FACTORS: 1) CTLR OVERLOADED (EITHER FREQ COMBINATION OR TRNING IN PROGRESS). 2) CTLR UNFAMILIARITY WITH DSCNT CHARACTERISTICS OF NEW GENERATION ACFT. 3) ARR HAS ONLY DOCCS XING DEPICTED, BUT WE ALWAYS CROSS ARMEL AT 8000' AND HAVE SOME SPD AND XING RESTRICTION PRIOR TO AML, BUT AFTER DOCCS. 4) ARR SHOULD BE MODIFIED WITH ADDITIONAL NOTES TO AID BOTH PLT AND CTLR TO MAKE THE SYS WORK.

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.