Air carrier held high on arrival route until unable to meet crossing restrictions.

Attributes
ACN	178739
Time
Date	199105
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : srp
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : zab
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 255 flight time total : 9500
ASRS Report	178739
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This situation was caused by our aircraft being kept excessively high on the arrival. Another air carrier was cleared up to FL280. We were cleared down to FL290 and held there until there was adequate airspace clearance to allow us to continue the descent. Our performance management computer system had been programmed for the descent with required crossing restrictions (altitude and airspeed). At this point in time the computer indicated we were greater than 12 mi beyond a normal initiated descent pont. ATC then cleared us to descend and make the normal crossing altitude and airspeed restrictions. Not only were we well beyond a normal descent point when cleared to descend, we also picked up a strong tailwind. We attempted to make the restrictions, but even with the speed brakes extended at maximum airspeed/rate of descent we were unable to do so. I feel ATC should have been much more aware of the situation we were in and taken appropriate measures to vector us in a direction so that a reasonable descent could have been accomplished. I feel as a crew we should have indicated early on that the restrictions were unattainable and requested either relief on the restrictions or a different arrival.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HELD HIGH ON ARR ROUTE UNTIL UNABLE TO MEET CROSSING RESTRICTIONS.

Narrative: THIS SITUATION WAS CAUSED BY OUR ACFT BEING KEPT EXCESSIVELY HIGH ON THE ARR. ANOTHER ACR WAS CLRED UP TO FL280. WE WERE CLRED DOWN TO FL290 AND HELD THERE UNTIL THERE WAS ADEQUATE AIRSPACE CLRNC TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE THE DSNT. OUR PERFORMANCE MGMNT COMPUTER SYS HAD BEEN PROGRAMMED FOR THE DSNT WITH REQUIRED XING RESTRICTIONS (ALT AND AIRSPD). AT THIS POINT IN TIME THE COMPUTER INDICATED WE WERE GREATER THAN 12 MI BEYOND A NORMAL INITIATED DSNT PONT. ATC THEN CLRED US TO DSND AND MAKE THE NORMAL XING ALT AND AIRSPD RESTRICTIONS. NOT ONLY WERE WE WELL BEYOND A NORMAL DSNT POINT WHEN CLRED TO DSND, WE ALSO PICKED UP A STRONG TAILWIND. WE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE RESTRICTIONS, BUT EVEN WITH THE SPD BRAKES EXTENDED AT MAX AIRSPD/RATE OF DSNT WE WERE UNABLE TO DO SO. I FEEL ATC SHOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE AWARE OF THE SITUATION WE WERE IN AND TAKEN APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO VECTOR US IN A DIRECTION SO THAT A REASONABLE DSNT COULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. I FEEL AS A CREW WE SHOULD HAVE INDICATED EARLY ON THAT THE RESTRICTIONS WERE UNATTAINABLE AND REQUESTED EITHER RELIEF ON THE RESTRICTIONS OR A DIFFERENT ARR.

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.