Narrative:

Knowing that our flight plan included the eldee three STAR; we pre-briefed the STAR well in advance of having to execute the profile. Included in the briefing was a company operations bulletin noting changes in the STAR crossing altitudes and deletion to several mandatory altitudes. We reviewed the published NOTAMS and made the appropriate notes directly on the eldee three STAR plate. The text is below: uar 04/015 dca airspace eldee three arrival change crossing restr at pugee to at or above 12000 ft. Delete crossing restr at capss. Change crossing restr at wzrrd to at or above 10000 ft. Delete crossing eldee at 8000 ft; and if landing runway 19 at reagan national; cross eldee at 8000 ft and 210 KTS. Level at 15000 ft and after establishing contact with potomac approach (118.67); we were instructed to comply with the eldee three arrival. Having not flown this STAR since the company operations bulletin was published; I asked potomac approach to confirm the first crossing restriction at pugee at or above 12000 ft. The approach plate is published with a mandatory altitude of 13000 ft at pugee; but the NOTAM revised it at or above 12000 ft. Potomac approach confirmed the mandatory altitude of 13000 ft at pugee and asked me if I had the eldee three STAR on my flight plan. I confirmed that I did have the eldee three STAR; but had received a NOTAM that the altitudes had been revised. He confirmed again 13000 ft. Less than a minute later he came back and responded that; indeed; the eldee three STAR had been revised and that the 'at or above' 12000 ft crossing restriction was the correct altitude at pugee. He also made comment that there have been 'many revisions' to the eldee three STAR. He then re-cleared us direct to pooch with crossing altitudes of 10000 ft at pooch and 8000 ft at eldee. The flight continued without incident. Had we not questioned the controller; we would have crossed pugee at 12000 ft; not the 13000 ft that the controller was expecting. I am glad we questioned him. I am also concerned about what might have happened had another aircraft been at the same altitude because of the confusion of this STAR and its associated revisions. I would recommend that the eldee three STAR be decommissioned or that ATC refrain from issuing the 'comply with eldee three arrival' clearance until correct symbology and clear instructions can be interpreted and used by flight crews.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTLR'S UNFAMILIARITY WITH NOTAMED ALT RESTRS ON THE ELDEE STAR TO DCA CAUSES CONFUSION.

Narrative: KNOWING THAT OUR FLT PLAN INCLUDED THE ELDEE THREE STAR; WE PRE-BRIEFED THE STAR WELL IN ADVANCE OF HAVING TO EXECUTE THE PROFILE. INCLUDED IN THE BRIEFING WAS A COMPANY OPS BULLETIN NOTING CHANGES IN THE STAR CROSSING ALTITUDES AND DELETION TO SEVERAL MANDATORY ALTITUDES. WE REVIEWED THE PUBLISHED NOTAMS AND MADE THE APPROPRIATE NOTES DIRECTLY ON THE ELDEE THREE STAR PLATE. THE TEXT IS BELOW: UAR 04/015 DCA AIRSPACE ELDEE THREE ARR CHANGE CROSSING RESTR AT PUGEE TO AT OR ABOVE 12000 FT. DELETE CROSSING RESTR AT CAPSS. CHANGE CROSSING RESTR AT WZRRD TO AT OR ABOVE 10000 FT. DELETE CROSSING ELDEE AT 8000 FT; AND IF LNDG RWY 19 AT REAGAN NATIONAL; CROSS ELDEE AT 8000 FT AND 210 KTS. LEVEL AT 15000 FT AND AFTER ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH POTOMAC APCH (118.67); WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO COMPLY WITH THE ELDEE THREE ARR. HAVING NOT FLOWN THIS STAR SINCE THE COMPANY OPS BULLETIN WAS PUBLISHED; I ASKED POTOMAC APCH TO CONFIRM THE FIRST CROSSING RESTRICTION AT PUGEE AT OR ABOVE 12000 FT. THE APCH PLATE IS PUBLISHED WITH A MANDATORY ALT OF 13000 FT AT PUGEE; BUT THE NOTAM REVISED IT AT OR ABOVE 12000 FT. POTOMAC APCH CONFIRMED THE MANDATORY ALT OF 13000 FT AT PUGEE AND ASKED ME IF I HAD THE ELDEE THREE STAR ON MY FLT PLAN. I CONFIRMED THAT I DID HAVE THE ELDEE THREE STAR; BUT HAD RECEIVED A NOTAM THAT THE ALTS HAD BEEN REVISED. HE CONFIRMED AGAIN 13000 FT. LESS THAN A MINUTE LATER HE CAME BACK AND RESPONDED THAT; INDEED; THE ELDEE THREE STAR HAD BEEN REVISED AND THAT THE 'AT OR ABOVE' 12000 FT CROSSING RESTRICTION WAS THE CORRECT ALT AT PUGEE. HE ALSO MADE COMMENT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 'MANY REVISIONS' TO THE ELDEE THREE STAR. HE THEN RE-CLEARED US DIRECT TO POOCH WITH CROSSING ALTS OF 10000 FT AT POOCH AND 8000 FT AT ELDEE. THE FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. HAD WE NOT QUESTIONED THE CTLR; WE WOULD HAVE CROSSED PUGEE AT 12000 FT; NOT THE 13000 FT THAT THE CTLR WAS EXPECTING. I AM GLAD WE QUESTIONED HIM. I AM ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED HAD ANOTHER ACFT BEEN AT THE SAME ALT BECAUSE OF THE CONFUSION OF THIS STAR AND ITS ASSOCIATED REVISIONS. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE ELDEE THREE STAR BE DECOMMISSIONED OR THAT ATC REFRAIN FROM ISSUING THE 'COMPLY WITH ELDEE THREE ARR' CLRNC UNTIL CORRECT SYMBOLOGY AND CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE INTERPRETED AND USED BY FLT CREWS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.