Narrative:

Was on an IFR flight plan from vny to las. The route was vny to pmd to dag and at dag cresso 3 arrival to las. On the arrival (STAR) between jokur intersection and whigg intersection, ZLA cleared me to cross whigg intersection at 12000 ft (whigg intersection is 43 DME from the bld VOR and a bearing inbound of 33 degrees). At approximately PM30Z ZLA asked me to contact las approach. At this point in time I was descending out of 13500 ft, I was at 46 DME from the bld VOR, which put me 3 mi from the whigg intersection and descending at 4000 FPM. When we contacted las approach we were at 13000 ft, 45 DME from bld VOR, and 2 mi from the whigg intersection, please read next 2 sections carefully because this is where the problem starts. By the time we finished reporting to approach control, we were at 12400 ft and 44 DME from the whigg intersection, which put us 1 mi from the whigg intersection. At this point approach control asked us if we received a crossing restr (at this point in time we were at whigg intersection, at 12000 ft and 43.5 DME which put us 1/2 mi from whigg). We then replied 'yes, whigg intersection at 12000 ft.' because approach questioned the restr, I wanted to confirm that we were at 12000 ft at whigg. I mentioned to las approach control, we crossed whigg intersection at 12000 ft, 43 DME from bld VOR. His reply back to me was 'you are 5 mi north of whigg.' I did not want to argue with him so I did not say anything after that. Please note that by the time he asked us if we received a restr and by the time we answered him and by the time I confirmed I was at whigg it is very likely I could have already been 5 mi past whigg. Please note also from above section that when approach asked us if we received a restr from center I was already at 12000 ft and still had 1/2 mi to go before reaching whigg. The problem we have here is when the aircraft is descending at 3000 ft or more center or approach control's altitude reporting radar does not display the correct or actual altitude the aircraft is descending at. If the person reading the radar does not know this, he very likely to think I am not at the altitude I am supposed to be at. I would like you to also know that on numerous occasions when I am climbing out and climbing at 3500 FPM or more approach will ask me what altitude I'm at and when I tell him I'm climbing out of a certain altitude his radar is telling him I'm still 1000 ft lower than what I am actually at. The same with center sometimes they ask me to increase my rate of descent because of traffic and when I increase it to 3500 ft or more they're constantly asking me what altitude I'm at because they know I'm descending much fast than their radar is displaying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LR35 PIC IS CITED BY APCH CTLR FOR NOT MAKING THE ALT XING RESTR 43 MI SW OF BLD AT 12000 FT, L30, NV.

Narrative: WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM VNY TO LAS. THE RTE WAS VNY TO PMD TO DAG AND AT DAG CRESSO 3 ARR TO LAS. ON THE ARR (STAR) BTWN JOKUR INTXN AND WHIGG INTXN, ZLA CLRED ME TO CROSS WHIGG INTXN AT 12000 FT (WHIGG INTXN IS 43 DME FROM THE BLD VOR AND A BEARING INBOUND OF 33 DEGS). AT APPROX PM30Z ZLA ASKED ME TO CONTACT LAS APCH. AT THIS POINT IN TIME I WAS DSNDING OUT OF 13500 FT, I WAS AT 46 DME FROM THE BLD VOR, WHICH PUT ME 3 MI FROM THE WHIGG INTXN AND DSNDING AT 4000 FPM. WHEN WE CONTACTED LAS APCH WE WERE AT 13000 FT, 45 DME FROM BLD VOR, AND 2 MI FROM THE WHIGG INTXN, PLEASE READ NEXT 2 SECTIONS CAREFULLY BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THE PROB STARTS. BY THE TIME WE FINISHED RPTING TO APCH CTL, WE WERE AT 12400 FT AND 44 DME FROM THE WHIGG INTXN, WHICH PUT US 1 MI FROM THE WHIGG INTXN. AT THIS POINT APCH CTL ASKED US IF WE RECEIVED A XING RESTR (AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE WERE AT WHIGG INTXN, AT 12000 FT AND 43.5 DME WHICH PUT US 1/2 MI FROM WHIGG). WE THEN REPLIED 'YES, WHIGG INTXN AT 12000 FT.' BECAUSE APCH QUESTIONED THE RESTR, I WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE AT 12000 FT AT WHIGG. I MENTIONED TO LAS APCH CTL, WE CROSSED WHIGG INTXN AT 12000 FT, 43 DME FROM BLD VOR. HIS REPLY BACK TO ME WAS 'YOU ARE 5 MI N OF WHIGG.' I DID NOT WANT TO ARGUE WITH HIM SO I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING AFTER THAT. PLEASE NOTE THAT BY THE TIME HE ASKED US IF WE RECEIVED A RESTR AND BY THE TIME WE ANSWERED HIM AND BY THE TIME I CONFIRMED I WAS AT WHIGG IT IS VERY LIKELY I COULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN 5 MI PAST WHIGG. PLEASE NOTE ALSO FROM ABOVE SECTION THAT WHEN APCH ASKED US IF WE RECEIVED A RESTR FROM CTR I WAS ALREADY AT 12000 FT AND STILL HAD 1/2 MI TO GO BEFORE REACHING WHIGG. THE PROB WE HAVE HERE IS WHEN THE ACFT IS DSNDING AT 3000 FT OR MORE CTR OR APCH CTL'S ALT RPTING RADAR DOES NOT DISPLAY THE CORRECT OR ACTUAL ALT THE ACFT IS DSNDING AT. IF THE PERSON READING THE RADAR DOES NOT KNOW THIS, HE VERY LIKELY TO THINK I AM NOT AT THE ALT I AM SUPPOSED TO BE AT. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO ALSO KNOW THAT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHEN I AM CLBING OUT AND CLBING AT 3500 FPM OR MORE APCH WILL ASK ME WHAT ALT I'M AT AND WHEN I TELL HIM I'M CLBING OUT OF A CERTAIN ALT HIS RADAR IS TELLING HIM I'M STILL 1000 FT LOWER THAN WHAT I AM ACTUALLY AT. THE SAME WITH CTR SOMETIMES THEY ASK ME TO INCREASE MY RATE OF DSCNT BECAUSE OF TFC AND WHEN I INCREASE IT TO 3500 FT OR MORE THEY'RE CONSTANTLY ASKING ME WHAT ALT I'M AT BECAUSE THEY KNOW I'M DSNDING MUCH FAST THAN THEIR RADAR IS DISPLAYING.

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.