A B727 flight crew is unable to meet crossing restr issued by the approach controller.

Attributes
ACN	521810
Time
Date	200108
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	521810
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met non adherence : clearance
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On right base for runway 26 in visual conditions, aircraft was in a descent from about 3000 ft. Iah approach control asked if we had the runway in sight. We did clearly see the field and acknowledged this to approach control. Approach control responded, 'air carrier X, cross nixin (the OM for ILS runway 26) at or below 2000 ft, cleared for the visual approach runway 26.' we acknowledged the clearance. The vectors for approach left us high on the glide path and approaching nixin. It was obvious we were not going to cross nixin at or below 2000 ft. Prior to reaching nixin, we were speaking to tower and informed tower that we would be above 2000 ft at nixin. They said 'roger.' nothing more was said by ATC. We crossed nixin at about 2300 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLT CREW IS UNABLE TO MEET XING RESTR ISSUED BY THE APCH CTLR.

Narrative: ON R BASE FOR RWY 26 IN VISUAL CONDITIONS, ACFT WAS IN A DSCNT FROM ABOUT 3000 FT. IAH APCH CTL ASKED IF WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT. WE DID CLRLY SEE THE FIELD AND ACKNOWLEDGED THIS TO APCH CTL. APCH CTL RESPONDED, 'ACR X, CROSS NIXIN (THE OM FOR ILS RWY 26) AT OR BELOW 2000 FT, CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH RWY 26.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC. THE VECTORS FOR APCH LEFT US HIGH ON THE GLIDE PATH AND APCHING NIXIN. IT WAS OBVIOUS WE WERE NOT GOING TO CROSS NIXIN AT OR BELOW 2000 FT. PRIOR TO REACHING NIXIN, WE WERE SPEAKING TO TWR AND INFORMED TWR THAT WE WOULD BE ABOVE 2000 FT AT NIXIN. THEY SAID 'ROGER.' NOTHING MORE WAS SAID BY ATC. WE CROSSED NIXIN AT ABOUT 2300 FT.

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.