Narrative:

My first officer was flying the airplane when we failed to make the crossing restr at cedes intersection. I was not monitoring the situation closely enough due to multiple distrs, which I will describe. This flight was from stl-sfo. In stl we had a belligerent passenger who I personally confronted. The man refused to say that he was willing to cooperate with the flight attendants, and forced his way onto the airplane. I had the police come and remove this man. During the flight, I spent a lot of time discussing this situation with the flight attendants. Then a flight attendant told me that a passenger had been smoking in the bathroom. This happened just before top of descent. The flight attendants handled this situation by themselves, but I was thinking about it and suggested further actions in the descent. Not far before cedes (at about groan), I called operations in to tell them our ETA. While I was doing this, the controller gave us a 350 degree heading for spacing. Then the controller gave us a 210 degree heading to rejoin the arrival. At the time the first officer's VOR was on modesto, I was on manteca VOR. It appeared that this heading was not going to get us back on the arrival as we were crossing the eca 215 degree radial. I called the controller and inquired about the vector. I was not thinking about the crossing altitude. The controller responded that he was not concerned about that, he wanted the altitude. I told him that we would be unable to make the altitude. ATC said that is why they had given us the vector, implying that he had been aware of the altitude. Center called bay approach and told us that the altitude was ok. We crossed cedes at about 12000 ft. My first officer later said that he thought that we might not make the crossing restr. Suggestions: I should have monitored the flying more closely. My first officer should have spoken up and said 'we might not make this restr.' the controller could have queried us as to whether we would be able to make the restr.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISTR MD83 FLC FAILS TO MAKE THE ASSIGNED ALT XING RESTR AT CEDES INTXN ON FREQ WITH ZOA, CA.

Narrative: MY FO WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE WHEN WE FAILED TO MAKE THE XING RESTR AT CEDES INTXN. I WAS NOT MONITORING THE SIT CLOSELY ENOUGH DUE TO MULTIPLE DISTRS, WHICH I WILL DESCRIBE. THIS FLT WAS FROM STL-SFO. IN STL WE HAD A BELLIGERENT PAX WHO I PERSONALLY CONFRONTED. THE MAN REFUSED TO SAY THAT HE WAS WILLING TO COOPERATE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS, AND FORCED HIS WAY ONTO THE AIRPLANE. I HAD THE POLICE COME AND REMOVE THIS MAN. DURING THE FLT, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME DISCUSSING THIS SIT WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THEN A FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT A PAX HAD BEEN SMOKING IN THE BATHROOM. THIS HAPPENED JUST BEFORE TOP OF DSCNT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS HANDLED THIS SIT BY THEMSELVES, BUT I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT AND SUGGESTED FURTHER ACTIONS IN THE DSCNT. NOT FAR BEFORE CEDES (AT ABOUT GROAN), I CALLED OPS IN TO TELL THEM OUR ETA. WHILE I WAS DOING THIS, THE CTLR GAVE US A 350 DEG HDG FOR SPACING. THEN THE CTLR GAVE US A 210 DEG HDG TO REJOIN THE ARR. AT THE TIME THE FO'S VOR WAS ON MODESTO, I WAS ON MANTECA VOR. IT APPEARED THAT THIS HDG WAS NOT GOING TO GET US BACK ON THE ARR AS WE WERE XING THE ECA 215 DEG RADIAL. I CALLED THE CTLR AND INQUIRED ABOUT THE VECTOR. I WAS NOT THINKING ABOUT THE XING ALT. THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT HE WAS NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, HE WANTED THE ALT. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE THE ALT. ATC SAID THAT IS WHY THEY HAD GIVEN US THE VECTOR, IMPLYING THAT HE HAD BEEN AWARE OF THE ALT. CTR CALLED BAY APCH AND TOLD US THAT THE ALT WAS OK. WE CROSSED CEDES AT ABOUT 12000 FT. MY FO LATER SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THAT WE MIGHT NOT MAKE THE XING RESTR. SUGGESTIONS: I SHOULD HAVE MONITORED THE FLYING MORE CLOSELY. MY FO SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN UP AND SAID 'WE MIGHT NOT MAKE THIS RESTR.' THE CTLR COULD HAVE QUERIED US AS TO WHETHER WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THE RESTR.

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.