Narrative:

Descending on the marcs 4 arrival into sat, we were told to 'delete the speeds on the STAR and descend on the marcs 4 arrival.' our position was between aus and the marcs intersection and sat ATIS called for a landing on runway 12R. As we approached marcs intersection, we were given the 'delete speeds' clearance and were confused because the note for speed on the STAR reads -- marcs (turbojets) cross at 13000 ft (turbojets landing sat runway 21) cross at 250 KIAS. ATIS called for us to land on runway 12R, not runway 21, so we were questioning why we were given a 'delete speed' instruction that did not seem to apply. At the same time, we then questioned whether or not the cross at 13000 ft restr applied. The next point after marcs in brawn intersection with the instruction, 'cross at and maintain 10000 ft.' as we were trying to call approach for clarification (the frequency was busy) we descended to 10000 ft, the restr of brawn. North of marcs intersection and between 13000 ft and 10000 ft, approach queried us as to our altitude. On reaching the gate in sat, the captain called approach control on a landline and was told that the new airspace over the old bergstrom AFB was causing confusion as to clrncs given and altitudes required by the marcs 4 STAR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW INBOUND TO SAT ON STAR ARR WERE ISSUED A DELETE SPDS RESTR AND DSND ON THE STAR ARR. CREW BECAME CONFUSED BECAUSE THE ATIS ADVERTISED RWY 12R FOR LNDG. THE SPD THE CTLR SAID TO DELETE ONLY APPLIES TO TFC LNDG SAT ON RWY 21.

Narrative: DSNDING ON THE MARCS 4 ARR INTO SAT, WE WERE TOLD TO 'DELETE THE SPDS ON THE STAR AND DSND ON THE MARCS 4 ARR.' OUR POS WAS BTWN AUS AND THE MARCS INTXN AND SAT ATIS CALLED FOR A LNDG ON RWY 12R. AS WE APCHED MARCS INTXN, WE WERE GIVEN THE 'DELETE SPDS' CLRNC AND WERE CONFUSED BECAUSE THE NOTE FOR SPD ON THE STAR READS -- MARCS (TURBOJETS) CROSS AT 13000 FT (TURBOJETS LNDG SAT RWY 21) CROSS AT 250 KIAS. ATIS CALLED FOR US TO LAND ON RWY 12R, NOT RWY 21, SO WE WERE QUESTIONING WHY WE WERE GIVEN A 'DELETE SPD' INSTRUCTION THAT DID NOT SEEM TO APPLY. AT THE SAME TIME, WE THEN QUESTIONED WHETHER OR NOT THE CROSS AT 13000 FT RESTR APPLIED. THE NEXT POINT AFTER MARCS IN BRAWN INTXN WITH THE INSTRUCTION, 'CROSS AT AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT.' AS WE WERE TRYING TO CALL APCH FOR CLARIFICATION (THE FREQ WAS BUSY) WE DSNDED TO 10000 FT, THE RESTR OF BRAWN. N OF MARCS INTXN AND BTWN 13000 FT AND 10000 FT, APCH QUERIED US AS TO OUR ALT. ON REACHING THE GATE IN SAT, THE CAPT CALLED APCH CTL ON A LANDLINE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE NEW AIRSPACE OVER THE OLD BERGSTROM AFB WAS CAUSING CONFUSION AS TO CLRNCS GIVEN AND ALTS REQUIRED BY THE MARCS 4 STAR.

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.