Narrative:

ATC facility, socal approach location, bands intersection. Report filed due to possible miscom and interpretation of arrival clearance. Socal controller cleared us for east side 1 arrival with altitude restrs after passing bands intersection. That was our only clearance. We started our descent so as to cross kayoh at 8000 ft, 210 KTS. After we started the descent the controller said the clearance was a little confusing and wanted to know our interpretation of it. We told him we would cross kayoh at 8000 ft, 210 KTS and F047 at or above 7000 ft. He said he wanted kayoh at 8000 ft. We failed to notice the note to maintain last assigned altitude to kayoh. No conflict or TCASII alert, we were in the clear with visibility at least 5 mi. Even with the chart out, the note was not annotated on the FMC. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the captain was flying and was anxious to get down since he was fairly new on the aircraft type. The crew had reviewed the STAR chart and knew that the altitude depicted for crossing kayoh (8000 ft, 210 KTS) was an 'expected' altitude. The flight was arriving over psp VOR and had been assigned to cross 'bands' intersection at 14000 ft. Then the east side arrival STAR clearance was issued. After bands the aircraft was in descent. At about 11500 ft the controller intervened with his question regarding the clearance interpretation. The controller said that the interpretation was correct, that he had wanted the flight at kayoh at 8000 ft but was wondering how the crew interpreted his clearance. The reporter was confused as to why the controller issued the clearance in that manner if the STAR chart note said to 'maintain the last assigned altitude to kayoh.' the aircraft would have had a severe altitude problem with crossing kayoh at 14000 ft as that intersection is only 12.9 NM from the LOM for runway 19R at sna. Even crossing kayoh at 8000 ft is a challenge and a 'slam dunk' approach due to the hills and sound abatement policy at sna. The FMC did not have any notes regarding any restrs, only a 'kayoh at or above 7000 ft' for best fuel economy. Reporter would like the note moved to a section nearer the bands/kayoh leg and ATC to not confuse the issue with clrncs phrased as this one was. The keep them high procedure (ie, 14000 ft) is very difficult to deal with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR ASKS FLC ABOUT THEIR CLRNC INTERP WHEN ASSIGNED THE EAST SIDE STAR 'WITH ALT RESTRS.'

Narrative: ATC FACILITY, SOCAL APCH LOCATION, BANDS INTXN. RPT FILED DUE TO POSSIBLE MISCOM AND INTERP OF ARR CLRNC. SOCAL CTLR CLRED US FOR EAST SIDE 1 ARR WITH ALT RESTRS AFTER PASSING BANDS INTXN. THAT WAS OUR ONLY CLRNC. WE STARTED OUR DSCNT SO AS TO CROSS KAYOH AT 8000 FT, 210 KTS. AFTER WE STARTED THE DSCNT THE CTLR SAID THE CLRNC WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING AND WANTED TO KNOW OUR INTERP OF IT. WE TOLD HIM WE WOULD CROSS KAYOH AT 8000 FT, 210 KTS AND F047 AT OR ABOVE 7000 FT. HE SAID HE WANTED KAYOH AT 8000 FT. WE FAILED TO NOTICE THE NOTE TO MAINTAIN LAST ASSIGNED ALT TO KAYOH. NO CONFLICT OR TCASII ALERT, WE WERE IN THE CLR WITH VISIBILITY AT LEAST 5 MI. EVEN WITH THE CHART OUT, THE NOTE WAS NOT ANNOTATED ON THE FMC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND WAS ANXIOUS TO GET DOWN SINCE HE WAS FAIRLY NEW ON THE ACFT TYPE. THE CREW HAD REVIEWED THE STAR CHART AND KNEW THAT THE ALT DEPICTED FOR XING KAYOH (8000 FT, 210 KTS) WAS AN 'EXPECTED' ALT. THE FLT WAS ARRIVING OVER PSP VOR AND HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO CROSS 'BANDS' INTXN AT 14000 FT. THEN THE EAST SIDE ARR STAR CLRNC WAS ISSUED. AFTER BANDS THE ACFT WAS IN DSCNT. AT ABOUT 11500 FT THE CTLR INTERVENED WITH HIS QUESTION REGARDING THE CLRNC INTERP. THE CTLR SAID THAT THE INTERP WAS CORRECT, THAT HE HAD WANTED THE FLT AT KAYOH AT 8000 FT BUT WAS WONDERING HOW THE CREW INTERPRETED HIS CLRNC. THE RPTR WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHY THE CTLR ISSUED THE CLRNC IN THAT MANNER IF THE STAR CHART NOTE SAID TO 'MAINTAIN THE LAST ASSIGNED ALT TO KAYOH.' THE ACFT WOULD HAVE HAD A SEVERE ALT PROB WITH XING KAYOH AT 14000 FT AS THAT INTXN IS ONLY 12.9 NM FROM THE LOM FOR RWY 19R AT SNA. EVEN XING KAYOH AT 8000 FT IS A CHALLENGE AND A 'SLAM DUNK' APCH DUE TO THE HILLS AND SOUND ABATEMENT POLICY AT SNA. THE FMC DID NOT HAVE ANY NOTES REGARDING ANY RESTRS, ONLY A 'KAYOH AT OR ABOVE 7000 FT' FOR BEST FUEL ECONOMY. RPTR WOULD LIKE THE NOTE MOVED TO A SECTION NEARER THE BANDS/KAYOH LEG AND ATC TO NOT CONFUSE THE ISSUE WITH CLRNCS PHRASED AS THIS ONE WAS. THE KEEP THEM HIGH PROC (IE, 14000 FT) IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH.

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.