Narrative:

At 14000 ft, were told to descend to 12000 ft outside of bremr on civit 4. Speed restr to 210 KTS was given at the time speed was 310 KTS. Controller said he wanted speed before altitude. We had not reached 12000 ft and we were slowing. Same controller said he wanted speed brake altitude. I deployed speed brakes at 12000 ft to slow before descending on civet arrival. We crossed arnes at 12000 ft. 1000 ft above arrival under the understanding that the controller wanted our speed restr first. We told controller that we were high and he vectored us to approach to runway 25L lax. To add to confusion the runways had been switched from runway 6L to runway 25L we did not know which STAR was to be issued until civet. Both redeye and civit 4 can be done from this point. ATIS was not on ACARS and captain was listening to ATIS while I was working radios and flying. Workload was high. When told that the controller needed airspeed before altitude that is what we did. Controller did not complain to us about our altitude but I felt this information would be helpful to NASA. Supplemental information from acn 474434: prepared for redeye 2 arrival. Though ATIS was over 1 hour old WX was 1400 ft overcast and light and variable winds. Approaching civet were cleared for civet 4, which is surprising considering noise considerations that time of night. While first officer hurriedly reprogrammed and cleaned up FMS, I left ATC frequency to listen to new ATIS thinking marine layer may have moved in reducing ceiling and visibility (it had not). When I returned to ATC frequency, approach started giving us drastic speed reductions because we were closing on a DC10 preceding us that did not appear on TCASII. We crossed arnes at 12000 ft vice published maximum altitude of 11000 ft and it was unclr that we had received relief from that altitude restr. Contributing factors: fatigue from 12+ hour duty day and time of night. ATIS not updated to allow desired preplanning and preparation. Combined with unseen traffic led to some ambiguity in our precise ATC clearance regarding altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 FLC FAILS TO CROSS AN INTXN AT THE STAR ARR PUBLISHED ALT WHEN TOLD TO REDUCE SPD FOR TFC PRIOR TO MAKING THE ALT RESTR AT ARNES, CA.

Narrative: AT 14000 FT, WERE TOLD TO DSND TO 12000 FT OUTSIDE OF BREMR ON CIVIT 4. SPD RESTR TO 210 KTS WAS GIVEN AT THE TIME SPD WAS 310 KTS. CTLR SAID HE WANTED SPD BEFORE ALT. WE HAD NOT REACHED 12000 FT AND WE WERE SLOWING. SAME CTLR SAID HE WANTED SPD BRAKE ALT. I DEPLOYED SPD BRAKES AT 12000 FT TO SLOW BEFORE DSNDING ON CIVET ARR. WE CROSSED ARNES AT 12000 FT. 1000 FT ABOVE ARR UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CTLR WANTED OUR SPD RESTR FIRST. WE TOLD CTLR THAT WE WERE HIGH AND HE VECTORED US TO APCH TO RWY 25L LAX. TO ADD TO CONFUSION THE RWYS HAD BEEN SWITCHED FROM RWY 6L TO RWY 25L WE DID NOT KNOW WHICH STAR WAS TO BE ISSUED UNTIL CIVET. BOTH REDEYE AND CIVIT 4 CAN BE DONE FROM THIS POINT. ATIS WAS NOT ON ACARS AND CAPT WAS LISTENING TO ATIS WHILE I WAS WORKING RADIOS AND FLYING. WORKLOAD WAS HIGH. WHEN TOLD THAT THE CTLR NEEDED AIRSPD BEFORE ALT THAT IS WHAT WE DID. CTLR DID NOT COMPLAIN TO US ABOUT OUR ALT BUT I FELT THIS INFO WOULD BE HELPFUL TO NASA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 474434: PREPARED FOR REDEYE 2 ARR. THOUGH ATIS WAS OVER 1 HR OLD WX WAS 1400 FT OVCST AND LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS. APCHING CIVET WERE CLRED FOR CIVET 4, WHICH IS SURPRISING CONSIDERING NOISE CONSIDERATIONS THAT TIME OF NIGHT. WHILE FO HURRIEDLY REPROGRAMMED AND CLEANED UP FMS, I LEFT ATC FREQ TO LISTEN TO NEW ATIS THINKING MARINE LAYER MAY HAVE MOVED IN REDUCING CEILING AND VISIBILITY (IT HAD NOT). WHEN I RETURNED TO ATC FREQ, APCH STARTED GIVING US DRASTIC SPD REDUCTIONS BECAUSE WE WERE CLOSING ON A DC10 PRECEDING US THAT DID NOT APPEAR ON TCASII. WE CROSSED ARNES AT 12000 FT VICE PUBLISHED MAX ALT OF 11000 FT AND IT WAS UNCLR THAT WE HAD RECEIVED RELIEF FROM THAT ALT RESTR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: FATIGUE FROM 12+ HR DUTY DAY AND TIME OF NIGHT. ATIS NOT UPDATED TO ALLOW DESIRED PREPLANNING AND PREPARATION. COMBINED WITH UNSEEN TFC LED TO SOME AMBIGUITY IN OUR PRECISE ATC CLRNC REGARDING ALT.

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.