MD80 crew was assigned a new STAR to sat. Crew descended below the altitude restr at marcs.

Attributes
ACN	423000
Time
Date	199812
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cwk
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 13000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	423000
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	422999
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

New arrival procedure, sat. Flying marcs 5 arrival to sat and given clearance to descend via the marcs arrival. Since I was not accustomed to hearing this type clearance, except on the west coast, I asked the first officer to verify the clearance. The first officer asked the controller to confirm that we were cleared to 10000 ft. The controller confirmed that we were cleared to 10000 ft. I misinterped that to mean that we were cleared to 10000 ft without regard to the 13000 ft crossing at marcs. As we passed through 12000 ft 5 NM north of marcs, the controller advised us that we were supposed to maintain 13000 ft until passing marcs, that there was no conflict and we should continue the descent to 10000 ft. Since it is a new procedure, I should have been more detailed in my inquiry about the crossing and we should have set and armed 13000 ft for the marcs crossing. Supplemental information from acn 422999: this is a new arrival procedure being used at sat. Like the civit profile descent lax. The controller said this is happening a lot with the new procedure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW WAS ASSIGNED A NEW STAR TO SAT. CREW DSNDED BELOW THE ALT RESTR AT MARCS.

Narrative: NEW ARR PROC, SAT. FLYING MARCS 5 ARR TO SAT AND GIVEN CLRNC TO DSND VIA THE MARCS ARR. SINCE I WAS NOT ACCUSTOMED TO HEARING THIS TYPE CLRNC, EXCEPT ON THE WEST COAST, I ASKED THE FO TO VERIFY THE CLRNC. THE FO ASKED THE CTLR TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 10000 FT. THE CTLR CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 10000 FT. I MISINTERPED THAT TO MEAN THAT WE WERE CLRED TO 10000 FT WITHOUT REGARD TO THE 13000 FT XING AT MARCS. AS WE PASSED THROUGH 12000 FT 5 NM N OF MARCS, THE CTLR ADVISED US THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MAINTAIN 13000 FT UNTIL PASSING MARCS, THAT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT AND WE SHOULD CONTINUE THE DSCNT TO 10000 FT. SINCE IT IS A NEW PROC, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DETAILED IN MY INQUIRY ABOUT THE XING AND WE SHOULD HAVE SET AND ARMED 13000 FT FOR THE MARCS XING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 422999: THIS IS A NEW ARR PROC BEING USED AT SAT. LIKE THE CIVIT PROFILE DSCNT LAX. THE CTLR SAID THIS IS HAPPENING A LOT WITH THE NEW PROC.

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.