Narrative:

ZDC gave us a clearance to cross jaybo intersection at 15,000' which is 35 DME on 085 radial nottingham VOR. When given the clearance to 15,000 we were at FL290 with about 45 mi to go to the intersection. I told the first officer we were doing 9 mi/min so he could plan the descent which would have taken 45 mi at 3000 FPM descent. He began the descent initially at 1500 to 2000 FPM, so I told him to increase the rate of descent to 3500 FPM. He did slowly. We were on an arrival which was rather hectic with several vors and several course changes (at least 5). We only had one DME operating, my DME was deferred for later maintenance. I told him several times to keep the rate at 3500 FPM. He asked me to tell center that we would not make the restriction and he began to shallow the descent. At that point I increased the descent to 4000 FPM. We were still 70 KTS below vmo. We should have made the crossing restriction with several mi to spare but instead missed it by 4 mi and 300'. Nothing was said by ATC. I feel that with operating in the northeast corridor and congestion as it is, ATC could have cleared us to 15,000 sooner, and the first officer should've maintained a constant 3000 FPM descent to make the crossing. Having both DME's operational would have made the xchking much easier and this particular arrival should be simplified (dupont 3).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ON DUPONT 3 STAR TO PHL FAILS TO MEET 15,000' CROSSING RESTRICTION AT JAYBO INTERSECTION, CITES LATE CLRNC FOR DESCENT AS CONTRIBUTORY.

Narrative: ZDC GAVE US A CLRNC TO CROSS JAYBO INTXN AT 15,000' WHICH IS 35 DME ON 085 RADIAL NOTTINGHAM VOR. WHEN GIVEN THE CLRNC TO 15,000 WE WERE AT FL290 WITH ABOUT 45 MI TO GO TO THE INTXN. I TOLD THE F/O WE WERE DOING 9 MI/MIN SO HE COULD PLAN THE DSCNT WHICH WOULD HAVE TAKEN 45 MI AT 3000 FPM DSCNT. HE BEGAN THE DSCNT INITIALLY AT 1500 TO 2000 FPM, SO I TOLD HIM TO INCREASE THE RATE OF DSCNT TO 3500 FPM. HE DID SLOWLY. WE WERE ON AN ARR WHICH WAS RATHER HECTIC WITH SEVERAL VORS AND SEVERAL COURSE CHANGES (AT LEAST 5). WE ONLY HAD ONE DME OPERATING, MY DME WAS DEFERRED FOR LATER MAINT. I TOLD HIM SEVERAL TIMES TO KEEP THE RATE AT 3500 FPM. HE ASKED ME TO TELL CENTER THAT WE WOULD NOT MAKE THE RESTRICTION AND HE BEGAN TO SHALLOW THE DSCNT. AT THAT POINT I INCREASED THE DSCNT TO 4000 FPM. WE WERE STILL 70 KTS BELOW VMO. WE SHOULD HAVE MADE THE XING RESTRICTION WITH SEVERAL MI TO SPARE BUT INSTEAD MISSED IT BY 4 MI AND 300'. NOTHING WAS SAID BY ATC. I FEEL THAT WITH OPERATING IN THE NE CORRIDOR AND CONGESTION AS IT IS, ATC COULD HAVE CLRED US TO 15,000 SOONER, AND THE F/O SHOULD'VE MAINTAINED A CONSTANT 3000 FPM DSCNT TO MAKE THE XING. HAVING BOTH DME'S OPERATIONAL WOULD HAVE MADE THE XCHKING MUCH EASIER AND THIS PARTICULAR ARR SHOULD BE SIMPLIFIED (DUPONT 3).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.