Narrative:

We were instructed to cross 40 NM southwest vtu at 22000. Captain was flying aircraft. He started down early but failed to descend at a high enough rate of descent to reach 22000 by 40 southwest. This captain does not listen to other crew member's input, does not conduct his flts in accordance with company procedures, and does not indicate what he is thinking or doing while flying. Perhaps the all night flight dulled his attention to detail on this flight. As we were handoff to lax approach we were cleared direct to fim, resume sadde 4 arrival. Captain was at 320 KIAS crossing fim, with 8 mi to bryan intersection which has a 280 KIAS restriction. I asked for relief on the speed at bryan figuring he couldn't get down to 12000 ft and slow to 280 in 8 mi. The controller said 'ok, but I still need the speed at bayst'. Controller countered immediately with 'I need the speed at sadde, not bayst', which I rogered. As I was checking the arrival chart to confirm the clearance, the captain disengaged the autoplt and started to descend below the assigned altitude of 12000. I asked what he was doing and he replied that we were cleared to 10000. I disagreed, our last assigned was 12000. We were now at 11000. As I attempted to confirm our clearance we were clrd to 10000. The confusion over the altitude was caused by the mention of the bayst intersection (which has a 10000 ft restriction) instead of the sadde intersection which has a 250 KTS restriction, coupled with an all night flight and a loose cannon of a captain. It was the recipe for an altitude excursion. I also feel that there are too many restrictions and course changes in this arrival -- it exacerbates confusion on a busy arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF WDB ON STAR INTO LAX FAILED TO MAKE XING ALT, SPD RESTRICTION PER PUBLISHED PROC.

Narrative: WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CROSS 40 NM SW VTU AT 22000. CAPT WAS FLYING ACFT. HE STARTED DOWN EARLY BUT FAILED TO DSND AT A HIGH ENOUGH RATE OF DSCNT TO REACH 22000 BY 40 SW. THIS CAPT DOES NOT LISTEN TO OTHER CREW MEMBER'S INPUT, DOES NOT CONDUCT HIS FLTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY PROCS, AND DOES NOT INDICATE WHAT HE IS THINKING OR DOING WHILE FLYING. PERHAPS THE ALL NIGHT FLT DULLED HIS ATTN TO DETAIL ON THIS FLT. AS WE WERE HDOF TO LAX APCH WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO FIM, RESUME SADDE 4 ARR. CAPT WAS AT 320 KIAS XING FIM, WITH 8 MI TO BRYAN INTXN WHICH HAS A 280 KIAS RESTRICTION. I ASKED FOR RELIEF ON THE SPD AT BRYAN FIGURING HE COULDN'T GET DOWN TO 12000 FT AND SLOW TO 280 IN 8 MI. THE CTLR SAID 'OK, BUT I STILL NEED THE SPD AT BAYST'. CTLR COUNTERED IMMEDIATELY WITH 'I NEED THE SPD AT SADDE, NOT BAYST', WHICH I ROGERED. AS I WAS CHKING THE ARR CHART TO CONFIRM THE CLRNC, THE CAPT DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND STARTED TO DSND BELOW THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 12000. I ASKED WHAT HE WAS DOING AND HE REPLIED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 10000. I DISAGREED, OUR LAST ASSIGNED WAS 12000. WE WERE NOW AT 11000. AS I ATTEMPTED TO CONFIRM OUR CLRNC WE WERE CLRD TO 10000. THE CONFUSION OVER THE ALT WAS CAUSED BY THE MENTION OF THE BAYST INTXN (WHICH HAS A 10000 FT RESTRICTION) INSTEAD OF THE SADDE INTXN WHICH HAS A 250 KTS RESTRICTION, COUPLED WITH AN ALL NIGHT FLT AND A LOOSE CANNON OF A CAPT. IT WAS THE RECIPE FOR AN ALT EXCURSION. I ALSO FEEL THAT THERE ARE TOO MANY RESTRICTIONS AND COURSE CHANGES IN THIS ARR -- IT EXACERBATES CONFUSION ON A BUSY 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.