Air carrier X refused clearance unable to comply with crossing restriction.

Attributes
ACN	244397
Time
Date	199306
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12300 msl bound upper : 21000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : ztl
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9700 flight time type : 2800
ASRS Report	244397
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

ATC kept air carrier X at 21000 ft because of an small transport crossing below us at 20000 ft. When we were 18 mi from majic intersection he clears us to cross majic at 11000 ft and 250 KTS. I immediately told him that was impossible and that I was unable to comply with such a ridiculous clearance. His reply was 'do the best you can.' when is ATC going to stop using this expression and begin issuing a proper clearance? When I crossed over majic, he asked what our altitude was a I told him 12300 ft. He then told us to switch to charlotte approach. When I got on the ground, I called ZTL and asked him why he gave us this clearance knowing it was an impossible clearance. His reply was 'because I wanted you to do the best you could.' well that's not good enough because the best effort under any situation would not satisfy this clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X REFUSED CLRNC UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH XING RESTRICTION.

Narrative: ATC KEPT ACR X AT 21000 FT BECAUSE OF AN SMT XING BELOW US AT 20000 FT. WHEN WE WERE 18 MI FROM MAJIC INTXN HE CLRS US TO CROSS MAJIC AT 11000 FT AND 250 KTS. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD HIM THAT WAS IMPOSSIBLE AND THAT I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH SUCH A RIDICULOUS CLRNC. HIS REPLY WAS 'DO THE BEST YOU CAN.' WHEN IS ATC GOING TO STOP USING THIS EXPRESSION AND BEGIN ISSUING A PROPER CLRNC? WHEN I CROSSED OVER MAJIC, HE ASKED WHAT OUR ALT WAS A I TOLD HIM 12300 FT. HE THEN TOLD US TO SWITCH TO CHARLOTTE APCH. WHEN I GOT ON THE GND, I CALLED ZTL AND ASKED HIM WHY HE GAVE US THIS CLRNC KNOWING IT WAS AN IMPOSSIBLE CLRNC. HIS REPLY WAS 'BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO DO THE BEST YOU COULD.' WELL THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH BECAUSE THE BEST EFFORT UNDER ANY SIT WOULD NOT SATISFY THIS CLRNC.

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.