Narrative:

While cruising at FL390 and proceeding to civet intersection, ZLA cleared us (air carrier X) to descend to cross civet intersection at and maintain FL180. I acknowledged and repeated clearance back as the first officer as talking on company frequency. FMC was programmed for VNAV descent with crossing altitudes. Part way through descent at approximately FL350, ZLA assigned speed of 280 KTS or less in descent. FMC VNAV path indicated high on profile because of speed reduction and now increasing tailwind on descent. Normal descent speeds were 294 KTS, .80 mach prior to speed assignment. I extended speed brakes to allow aircraft to regain profile to cross civet at FL180. I was looking at FMC/VNAV path error and it showed we were exactly on profile, but a check of DME distance revealed we were approximately 6 mi from civet at FL220, which would mean we were high. I tried to increase rate of descent to make crossing restr but crossed civet at approximately FL200 versus FL180. ATC was talking to another aircraft at the time. We were then handed off to socal approach and nothing was said to us by ZLA or socal approach about this occurrence. Remainder of flight was routine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A WDB COULD NOT MAKE XING RESTR IN TIME DURING DSCNT ON STAR ARR AS SPECIFIED BY ARTCC CTLR DUE TO LATE REQUEST AND TAILWIND.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING AT FL390 AND PROCEEDING TO CIVET INTXN, ZLA CLRED US (ACR X) TO DSND TO CROSS CIVET INTXN AT AND MAINTAIN FL180. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND REPEATED CLRNC BACK AS THE FO AS TALKING ON COMPANY FREQ. FMC WAS PROGRAMMED FOR VNAV DSCNT WITH XING ALTS. PART WAY THROUGH DSCNT AT APPROX FL350, ZLA ASSIGNED SPD OF 280 KTS OR LESS IN DSCNT. FMC VNAV PATH INDICATED HIGH ON PROFILE BECAUSE OF SPD REDUCTION AND NOW INCREASING TAILWIND ON DSCNT. NORMAL DSCNT SPDS WERE 294 KTS, .80 MACH PRIOR TO SPD ASSIGNMENT. I EXTENDED SPD BRAKES TO ALLOW ACFT TO REGAIN PROFILE TO CROSS CIVET AT FL180. I WAS LOOKING AT FMC/VNAV PATH ERROR AND IT SHOWED WE WERE EXACTLY ON PROFILE, BUT A CHK OF DME DISTANCE REVEALED WE WERE APPROX 6 MI FROM CIVET AT FL220, WHICH WOULD MEAN WE WERE HIGH. I TRIED TO INCREASE RATE OF DSCNT TO MAKE XING RESTR BUT CROSSED CIVET AT APPROX FL200 VERSUS FL180. ATC WAS TALKING TO ANOTHER ACFT AT THE TIME. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO SOCAL APCH AND NOTHING WAS SAID TO US BY ZLA OR SOCAL APCH ABOUT THIS OCCURRENCE. REMAINDER OF FLT WAS ROUTINE.

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.