Narrative:

On the buntr 1 arrival into phx about 174 mi from phx, I was the PNF, and I made my first attempt to call our phx station in range. After no contact, I returned to my PNF duties. At about 133 mi out, I gave all flying duties to the first officer again and tried to call in range. After the in range call was complete, I again took over the PNF duties. My first officer said we were now cleared direct to homrr and resume the arrival STAR. At the top of descent point, we started our descent to cross homrr at 12000 ft and 250 KTS. I told ATC we were checking out 290 to cross homrr at 12 and 250. The controller asked what our last clearance had been. I told him we were cleared direct homrr and to resume the arrival. He said 12000 ft at homrr was not the clearance. A supervisor came on and told us to maintain FL280. We were then cleared to cross homrr at 12000 ft and 250 KTS. Because of the late descent we were unable to make the crossing at 12000 ft at 250 KTS. We had a strong 31 KT tailwind on the arrival in the descent from FL290 all the way down to 12000 ft. We have a speed restr on our B737 fleet until boeing can complete a modification to the tail. Our maximum speed is limited to 270 KTS. With the late descent and our speed limit, this caused us to be high and fast for our crossing restr. We were able to use the speed brakes and come close to making our crossing restr. After further review of the arrival we saw that the crossing at homrr had an expect to cross clearance at 12000 ft. After further review of the arrival we saw that the crossing at homrr had an expect to X clearance at 12000 ft. I should have questioned the clearance and verified the altitude with ATC after being off the ATC frequency and returning to my PNF duties. I did not hear the clearance, because our company procedure doesn't allow us to listen to 2 frequency at the same time. My first officer repeated our clearance to me when I returned to my PNF duties. We had been flying together all month and this first officer is very competent. This allowed me to easily except the clearance he relayed to me. In the future, any time I return to my PNF duties after leaving the frequency to make our in-range call, or any time I am off the ATC frequency, I will review both the clearance from ATC and more closely review all xings on the arrival charts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 CREW BEGAN DSCNT WHEN ISSUED THE STAR ARR WITH AN EXPECTED ALT XING RESTR. LATER THEY DID NOT COMPLY WITH ALT OR SPD CLRNC, BECAUSE OF RESTR ACFT AIRSPD LIMITATIONS.

Narrative: ON THE BUNTR 1 ARR INTO PHX ABOUT 174 MI FROM PHX, I WAS THE PNF, AND I MADE MY FIRST ATTEMPT TO CALL OUR PHX STATION IN RANGE. AFTER NO CONTACT, I RETURNED TO MY PNF DUTIES. AT ABOUT 133 MI OUT, I GAVE ALL FLYING DUTIES TO THE FO AGAIN AND TRIED TO CALL IN RANGE. AFTER THE IN RANGE CALL WAS COMPLETE, I AGAIN TOOK OVER THE PNF DUTIES. MY FO SAID WE WERE NOW CLRED DIRECT TO HOMRR AND RESUME THE ARR STAR. AT THE TOP OF DSCNT POINT, WE STARTED OUR DSCNT TO CROSS HOMRR AT 12000 FT AND 250 KTS. I TOLD ATC WE WERE CHKING OUT 290 TO CROSS HOMRR AT 12 AND 250. THE CTLR ASKED WHAT OUR LAST CLRNC HAD BEEN. I TOLD HIM WE WERE CLRED DIRECT HOMRR AND TO RESUME THE ARR. HE SAID 12000 FT AT HOMRR WAS NOT THE CLRNC. A SUPVR CAME ON AND TOLD US TO MAINTAIN FL280. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO CROSS HOMRR AT 12000 FT AND 250 KTS. BECAUSE OF THE LATE DSCNT WE WERE UNABLE TO MAKE THE XING AT 12000 FT AT 250 KTS. WE HAD A STRONG 31 KT TAILWIND ON THE ARR IN THE DSCNT FROM FL290 ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 12000 FT. WE HAVE A SPD RESTR ON OUR B737 FLEET UNTIL BOEING CAN COMPLETE A MODIFICATION TO THE TAIL. OUR MAX SPD IS LIMITED TO 270 KTS. WITH THE LATE DSCNT AND OUR SPD LIMIT, THIS CAUSED US TO BE HIGH AND FAST FOR OUR XING RESTR. WE WERE ABLE TO USE THE SPD BRAKES AND COME CLOSE TO MAKING OUR XING RESTR. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW OF THE ARR WE SAW THAT THE XING AT HOMRR HAD AN EXPECT TO CROSS CLRNC AT 12000 FT. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW OF THE ARR WE SAW THAT THE XING AT HOMRR HAD AN EXPECT TO X CLRNC AT 12000 FT. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CLRNC AND VERIFIED THE ALT WITH ATC AFTER BEING OFF THE ATC FREQ AND RETURNING TO MY PNF DUTIES. I DID NOT HEAR THE CLRNC, BECAUSE OUR COMPANY PROC DOESN'T ALLOW US TO LISTEN TO 2 FREQ AT THE SAME TIME. MY FO REPEATED OUR CLRNC TO ME WHEN I RETURNED TO MY PNF DUTIES. WE HAD BEEN FLYING TOGETHER ALL MONTH AND THIS FO IS VERY COMPETENT. THIS ALLOWED ME TO EASILY EXCEPT THE CLRNC HE RELAYED TO ME. IN THE FUTURE, ANY TIME I RETURN TO MY PNF DUTIES AFTER LEAVING THE FREQ TO MAKE OUR IN-RANGE CALL, OR ANY TIME I AM OFF THE ATC FREQ, I WILL REVIEW BOTH THE CLRNC FROM ATC AND MORE CLOSELY REVIEW ALL XINGS ON THE ARR CHARTS.

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.