Narrative:

Flying to ewr on dylin one arrival, ZDC cleared us to cross kerno intersection at FL270. I programmed FMS to cross a point 3 mi short of kerno at FL270 due to a warning from our dispatcher about high rates of descent required on some segments of the arrival and strong tailwinds (about 280 degrees at more than 100 KTS). FMS started descent at computed top of descent point. During descent I checked the descent page to monitor our descent progress -- nothing abnormal indicated. During this part of descent we were preparing for the approach to ewr. The first officer had to monitor the ATIS frequency since we could not obtain ATIS by ACARS. Shortly before reaching kerno, ZDC called to see if we would make FL270 by kerno -- it was painfully obvious to us we would be way high. Probably crossed kerno around FL330, by then we were so far behind on descent we crossed dqo about 2000 ft high and stefe about 500 ft high. High en route altitude, high tailwinds, high cockpit workload time (approach preparation and briefing) and an extremely challenging profile descent all contributed to this bad situation. The korry one to la guardia (issued on the same day as the dylin one) is just as challenging. As I write this I now know what happened. The dylin one is programmed to cross kerno at or above FL270. ZDC's clearance was to cross kerno at FL270. Supplemental information from acn 535067: after discussing it with the captain, we figured out that ATC cleared us to cross kerno at FL270. The FMS database has at or above FL270 in it. It is displayed as FL270A. Both of us missed the 'a.' the dylin one arrival has cross kerno at or above FL270. It's my mistake, but it's a real gotcha!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FLC MISSED 3 ALT XING RESTRS DUE TO A MISPROGRAMMED NAV DATABASE AND EXTREMELY HIGH TAILWINDS AT ALT NEAR KERNO INTXN, MD.

Narrative: FLYING TO EWR ON DYLIN ONE ARR, ZDC CLRED US TO CROSS KERNO INTXN AT FL270. I PROGRAMMED FMS TO CROSS A POINT 3 MI SHORT OF KERNO AT FL270 DUE TO A WARNING FROM OUR DISPATCHER ABOUT HIGH RATES OF DSCNT REQUIRED ON SOME SEGMENTS OF THE ARR AND STRONG TAILWINDS (ABOUT 280 DEGS AT MORE THAN 100 KTS). FMS STARTED DSCNT AT COMPUTED TOP OF DSCNT POINT. DURING DSCNT I CHKED THE DSCNT PAGE TO MONITOR OUR DSCNT PROGRESS -- NOTHING ABNORMAL INDICATED. DURING THIS PART OF DSCNT WE WERE PREPARING FOR THE APCH TO EWR. THE FO HAD TO MONITOR THE ATIS FREQ SINCE WE COULD NOT OBTAIN ATIS BY ACARS. SHORTLY BEFORE REACHING KERNO, ZDC CALLED TO SEE IF WE WOULD MAKE FL270 BY KERNO -- IT WAS PAINFULLY OBVIOUS TO US WE WOULD BE WAY HIGH. PROBABLY CROSSED KERNO AROUND FL330, BY THEN WE WERE SO FAR BEHIND ON DSCNT WE CROSSED DQO ABOUT 2000 FT HIGH AND STEFE ABOUT 500 FT HIGH. HIGH ENRTE ALT, HIGH TAILWINDS, HIGH COCKPIT WORKLOAD TIME (APCH PREPARATION AND BRIEFING) AND AN EXTREMELY CHALLENGING PROFILE DSCNT ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THIS BAD SIT. THE KORRY ONE TO LA GUARDIA (ISSUED ON THE SAME DAY AS THE DYLIN ONE) IS JUST AS CHALLENGING. AS I WRITE THIS I NOW KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. THE DYLIN ONE IS PROGRAMMED TO CROSS KERNO AT OR ABOVE FL270. ZDC'S CLRNC WAS TO CROSS KERNO AT FL270. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 535067: AFTER DISCUSSING IT WITH THE CAPT, WE FIGURED OUT THAT ATC CLRED US TO CROSS KERNO AT FL270. THE FMS DATABASE HAS AT OR ABOVE FL270 IN IT. IT IS DISPLAYED AS FL270A. BOTH OF US MISSED THE 'A.' THE DYLIN ONE ARR HAS CROSS KERNO AT OR ABOVE FL270. IT'S MY MISTAKE, BUT IT'S A REAL GOTCHA!

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.