Narrative:

Approaching powdr intersection on the powdr 2 arrival into den, we were told to expect 280 KTS and FL190 at powdr. ZDV then told us to descend and maintain FL200. Passing approximately FL226 or FL224 and approximately 5 or 6 NM southwest of powdr we were told to cross powdr at FL190. At approximately FL218 and approximately 2.7 NM southwest of powdr I told the first officer to tell ZDV we would be unable to cross powdr at FL190 and to request instructions. First officer called twice before we crossed powdr but ZDV never responded. Approximately 1.5 - 2.0 NM northeast of powdr at approximately FL196 or FL198, ZDV finally answered and switched us to den approach. Leveling at FL190 we noticed an aircraft on our course at FL190 and 5 NM. The target went from white to yellow on TCASII. We saw what appeared to be a white glider or single engine aircraft circling. I asked approach what type of aircraft it was as it appeared to be a glider. Controller very brusquely refused the request. I restated that we were just curious about the aircraft type. The controller responded very hostily that he would answer no questions about that aircraft and that I should call his supervisor if I had any questions about that aircraft. I said ok and he gave us a phone number. We never received any TA or alert regarding that aircraft at FL190. When I called the number I was informed that the tapes were being pulled and a possible violation on the powdr crossing was being examined. The supervisor said the aircraft at our flight level was a single engine cessna on a photo mission. He could not explain why the controller had not advised us about the cessna and why he refused to tell us what type aircraft it was and why the hostility. I have been informed that ZDV/approach is experiencing an 800% increase in crossing restr problems. In fact, while we were on the phone with the center supervisor, another air carrier aircraft experienced an inability to make a crossing restr. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the arrival route was changed 3 times and then given a crossing restr at a fix that was not on the arrival. Reporter alleges that this is an ongoing problem with the center approach control for changing the arrs and approachs multiple times. Reporter indicated it is the only center that they have this problem with. Reporter indicated that he thought the interfacility coordination between the approach and the center was lacking as to approach in use. Reporter stated he received a call from the center indicating the crossing matter would be dropped. Analyst learned reporter's aircraft was a B737-300 and the cessna model was a C210.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC ADVISE CTR CTLR THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO MAKE THE ALT XING RESTR BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. SUBSEQUENTLY, AFTER BEING SWITCH TO APCH FREQ AND UPON LEVELING AT FL190, TFC IS OBSERVED ON THE TCASII AT THE SAME ALT AT A RANGE OF 5 MI. THE FLC QUESTION THE CTLR AS TO THE TYPE ACFT. THE CTLR IS HOSTILE AND WOULD NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT THAT ACFT. THE FLC ARE GIVEN PHONE NUMBER TO CALL THE SUPVR IF THE FLC HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ACFT. THE SUPVR SAID THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION (REGARDING XING RESTR).

Narrative: APCHING POWDR INTXN ON THE POWDR 2 ARR INTO DEN, WE WERE TOLD TO EXPECT 280 KTS AND FL190 AT POWDR. ZDV THEN TOLD US TO DSND AND MAINTAIN FL200. PASSING APPROX FL226 OR FL224 AND APPROX 5 OR 6 NM SW OF POWDR WE WERE TOLD TO CROSS POWDR AT FL190. AT APPROX FL218 AND APPROX 2.7 NM SW OF POWDR I TOLD THE FO TO TELL ZDV WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO CROSS POWDR AT FL190 AND TO REQUEST INSTRUCTIONS. FO CALLED TWICE BEFORE WE CROSSED POWDR BUT ZDV NEVER RESPONDED. APPROX 1.5 - 2.0 NM NE OF POWDR AT APPROX FL196 OR FL198, ZDV FINALLY ANSWERED AND SWITCHED US TO DEN APCH. LEVELING AT FL190 WE NOTICED AN ACFT ON OUR COURSE AT FL190 AND 5 NM. THE TARGET WENT FROM WHITE TO YELLOW ON TCASII. WE SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A WHITE GLIDER OR SINGLE ENG ACFT CIRCLING. I ASKED APCH WHAT TYPE OF ACFT IT WAS AS IT APPEARED TO BE A GLIDER. CTLR VERY BRUSQUELY REFUSED THE REQUEST. I RESTATED THAT WE WERE JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE ACFT TYPE. THE CTLR RESPONDED VERY HOSTILY THAT HE WOULD ANSWER NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ACFT AND THAT I SHOULD CALL HIS SUPVR IF I HAD ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ACFT. I SAID OK AND HE GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER. WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY TA OR ALERT REGARDING THAT ACFT AT FL190. WHEN I CALLED THE NUMBER I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TAPES WERE BEING PULLED AND A POSSIBLE VIOLATION ON THE POWDR XING WAS BEING EXAMINED. THE SUPVR SAID THE ACFT AT OUR FLT LEVEL WAS A SINGLE ENG CESSNA ON A PHOTO MISSION. HE COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE CTLR HAD NOT ADVISED US ABOUT THE CESSNA AND WHY HE REFUSED TO TELL US WHAT TYPE ACFT IT WAS AND WHY THE HOSTILITY. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT ZDV/APCH IS EXPERIENCING AN 800% INCREASE IN XING RESTR PROBS. IN FACT, WHILE WE WERE ON THE PHONE WITH THE CTR SUPVR, ANOTHER ACR ACFT EXPERIENCED AN INABILITY TO MAKE A XING RESTR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE ARR RTE WAS CHANGED 3 TIMES AND THEN GIVEN A XING RESTR AT A FIX THAT WAS NOT ON THE ARR. RPTR ALLEGES THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROB WITH THE CTR APCH CTL FOR CHANGING THE ARRS AND APCHS MULTIPLE TIMES. RPTR INDICATED IT IS THE ONLY CTR THAT THEY HAVE THIS PROB WITH. RPTR INDICATED THAT HE THOUGHT THE INTERFAC COORD BTWN THE APCH AND THE CTR WAS LACKING AS TO APCH IN USE. RPTR STATED HE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE CTR INDICATING THE XING MATTER WOULD BE DROPPED. ANALYST LEARNED RPTR'S ACFT WAS A B737-300 AND THE CESSNA MODEL WAS A C210.

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.