Narrative:

Aircraft assigned best forward speed (310 KTS or greater) by ATC for spacing into dtw. A vector off course to intercept (was given after cleared to cross polar intersection at 12000 ft) the polar 1 arrival approximately 45 mi from polar. Aircraft was at FL230 at geiber intersection. At 2500 ft rate descent was originally selected on the vertical speed thumb wheel of the autoplt. I then looked away to get my approach chart out for runway 21L at dtw. I then noticed that the aircraft was only descending at 1800-1900 FPM. I then selected 3000 ft rate of descent on the thumb wheel. With power at idle the aircraft was vmo minus 20 KTS (320 KTS). The captain recommended speed brakes which were fully deployed. The aircraft was leveled off approximately 2 1/2 NM on the other side of polar intersection. The ATC controller advised us that we had not made our crossing restr. The 'set-up': with the aircraft assigned 'best forward speed,' one of the pilots options of making a crossing restr (increasing rate of descent which increases speed 'without the use of speed brakes which causes aircraft vibration which unnerves the passenger'). Already at vmo minus 20 KTS is taken away when assigned a vector off an airway or established SID/ STAR to an intersection - thereby taking away a pre-planned descent profile as the distance over the ground is now changed (in our case shortened) I was not caught 'behind the aircraft' and was unable, as it turned out, to meet the restr. I knew it was going to be close and a simple call to the controller would/could have relieved the situation. No one wants to admit that their judgement and pilotage is off even a fraction, and I thought we could make it. Solution: confess early if it's going to look close. ATC should advise non RNAV equipped aircraft with the distance to a fix at which a restr has been applied when the aircraft is taken off of an assigned SID/STAR and the fix is an intersection or other form of non-equipped DME NAVAID and the aircraft is not established on a radial or transition defining the fix. Supplemental information from acn 302013: the first officer delayed starting his descent until past the point where I would normally have started down, but prior to the point where I felt it necessary to instruct him. Now in the descent, the first officer started to brief the approach and my attention was momentarily diverted from the descent. About half way through the brief, I checked the descent progress and realized it would take 'maximum effort' to meet the restr. I advised the first officer and he deployed the speed brakes (his only option to increase rate as we were already at maximum airspeed and flight idle power). Include in captain's briefing at beginning of trip to plan dscnts to arrive at crossing altitudes 5-10 DME early.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT MISSED XING ALT AT SPECIFIED INTXN DURING DSCNT.

Narrative: ACFT ASSIGNED BEST FORWARD SPD (310 KTS OR GREATER) BY ATC FOR SPACING INTO DTW. A VECTOR OFF COURSE TO INTERCEPT (WAS GIVEN AFTER CLRED TO CROSS POLAR INTXN AT 12000 FT) THE POLAR 1 ARR APPROX 45 MI FROM POLAR. ACFT WAS AT FL230 AT GEIBER INTXN. AT 2500 FT RATE DSCNT WAS ORIGINALLY SELECTED ON THE VERT SPD THUMB WHEEL OF THE AUTOPLT. I THEN LOOKED AWAY TO GET MY APCH CHART OUT FOR RWY 21L AT DTW. I THEN NOTICED THAT THE ACFT WAS ONLY DSNDING AT 1800-1900 FPM. I THEN SELECTED 3000 FT RATE OF DSCNT ON THE THUMB WHEEL. WITH PWR AT IDLE THE ACFT WAS VMO MINUS 20 KTS (320 KTS). THE CAPT RECOMMENDED SPD BRAKES WHICH WERE FULLY DEPLOYED. THE ACFT WAS LEVELED OFF APPROX 2 1/2 NM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF POLAR INTXN. THE ATC CTLR ADVISED US THAT WE HAD NOT MADE OUR XING RESTR. THE 'SET-UP': WITH THE ACFT ASSIGNED 'BEST FORWARD SPD,' ONE OF THE PLTS OPTIONS OF MAKING A XING RESTR (INCREASING RATE OF DSCNT WHICH INCREASES SPD 'WITHOUT THE USE OF SPD BRAKES WHICH CAUSES ACFT VIBRATION WHICH UNNERVES THE PAX'). ALREADY AT VMO MINUS 20 KTS IS TAKEN AWAY WHEN ASSIGNED A VECTOR OFF AN AIRWAY OR ESTABLISHED SID/ STAR TO AN INTXN - THEREBY TAKING AWAY A PRE-PLANNED DSCNT PROFILE AS THE DISTANCE OVER THE GND IS NOW CHANGED (IN OUR CASE SHORTENED) I WAS NOT CAUGHT 'BEHIND THE ACFT' AND WAS UNABLE, AS IT TURNED OUT, TO MEET THE RESTR. I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE CLOSE AND A SIMPLE CALL TO THE CTLR WOULD/COULD HAVE RELIEVED THE SIT. NO ONE WANTS TO ADMIT THAT THEIR JUDGEMENT AND PILOTAGE IS OFF EVEN A FRACTION, AND I THOUGHT WE COULD MAKE IT. SOLUTION: CONFESS EARLY IF IT'S GOING TO LOOK CLOSE. ATC SHOULD ADVISE NON RNAV EQUIPPED ACFT WITH THE DISTANCE TO A FIX AT WHICH A RESTR HAS BEEN APPLIED WHEN THE ACFT IS TAKEN OFF OF AN ASSIGNED SID/STAR AND THE FIX IS AN INTXN OR OTHER FORM OF NON-EQUIPPED DME NAVAID AND THE ACFT IS NOT ESTABLISHED ON A RADIAL OR TRANSITION DEFINING THE FIX. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 302013: THE FO DELAYED STARTING HIS DSCNT UNTIL PAST THE POINT WHERE I WOULD NORMALLY HAVE STARTED DOWN, BUT PRIOR TO THE POINT WHERE I FELT IT NECESSARY TO INSTRUCT HIM. NOW IN THE DSCNT, THE FO STARTED TO BRIEF THE APCH AND MY ATTN WAS MOMENTARILY DIVERTED FROM THE DSCNT. ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH THE BRIEF, I CHKED THE DSCNT PROGRESS AND REALIZED IT WOULD TAKE 'MAX EFFORT' TO MEET THE RESTR. I ADVISED THE FO AND HE DEPLOYED THE SPD BRAKES (HIS ONLY OPTION TO INCREASE RATE AS WE WERE ALREADY AT MAX AIRSPD AND FLT IDLE PWR). INCLUDE IN CAPT'S BRIEFING AT BEGINNING OF TRIP TO PLAN DSCNTS TO ARRIVE AT XING ALTS 5-10 DME EARLY.

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.