Narrative:

We were flying the marvell 3 arrival into mem/sidon transition. Prior to sidon, ZME controller asked us to go best forward speed for spacing. Shortly after that, they gave us clearance to cross tammy at 10000 ft. We programmed our descent into the FMS. They gave us direct to marvel (VOR), followed shortly by a vector 15 degrees right to intercept the arrival northeast of marvel. Each time we were given the clearance, our distance to cross tammy decreased, the controller realized that the 15 degree turn would put us past tammy by several mi, so he told us to cross 40 mi southwest of mem at 10000 ft. We were coming down as fast as we could, idle power and speed brakes at greater than 3500 ft rate of descent. Finally, the controller realized that he had cut us so close we were not going to make the restr (I was just about to ask for relief when he told us to do the best we could and delete restr. We kept it coming down and were less than 1000 ft high. Looking back, as soon as he gave us the 15 degree turn, I knew we could not make it. I should have told him so, but the FMS took a while to update. From experience, I could tell, and the turn put us with more of a tailwind, which did not help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC COULD NOT MAKE ALT XING RESTR EVEN USING A HIGH RATE OF DSCNT AND THE ACFT'S SPD BRAKES EMPLOYED WITH IDLE PWR.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING THE MARVELL 3 ARR INTO MEM/SIDON TRANSITION. PRIOR TO SIDON, ZME CTLR ASKED US TO GO BEST FORWARD SPD FOR SPACING. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THEY GAVE US CLRNC TO CROSS TAMMY AT 10000 FT. WE PROGRAMMED OUR DSCNT INTO THE FMS. THEY GAVE US DIRECT TO MARVEL (VOR), FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY A VECTOR 15 DEGS R TO INTERCEPT THE ARR NE OF MARVEL. EACH TIME WE WERE GIVEN THE CLRNC, OUR DISTANCE TO CROSS TAMMY DECREASED, THE CTLR REALIZED THAT THE 15 DEG TURN WOULD PUT US PAST TAMMY BY SEVERAL MI, SO HE TOLD US TO CROSS 40 MI SW OF MEM AT 10000 FT. WE WERE COMING DOWN AS FAST AS WE COULD, IDLE PWR AND SPD BRAKES AT GREATER THAN 3500 FT RATE OF DSCNT. FINALLY, THE CTLR REALIZED THAT HE HAD CUT US SO CLOSE WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RESTR (I WAS JUST ABOUT TO ASK FOR RELIEF WHEN HE TOLD US TO DO THE BEST WE COULD AND DELETE RESTR. WE KEPT IT COMING DOWN AND WERE LESS THAN 1000 FT HIGH. LOOKING BACK, AS SOON AS HE GAVE US THE 15 DEG TURN, I KNEW WE COULD NOT MAKE IT. I SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM SO, BUT THE FMS TOOK A WHILE TO UPDATE. FROM EXPERIENCE, I COULD TELL, AND THE TURN PUT US WITH MORE OF A TAILWIND, WHICH DID NOT HELP.

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.