Narrative:

While operating on a flight from sat to hou, we were given a climb to our final requested altitude of 25000'. Upon reaching this altitude our DME from hou indicated 86. The leese arrival has an crossing restriction of 40 DME at 10000' and 250 KTS airspeed. Before actually reaching this altitude, we requested a descent in order to comply with the STAR. We received a clearance to FL240. After a frequency change, we requested lower and were assigned the leese STAR for hou. We began our descent. Traveling west to east, the winds gave us an additional push on the tail. Engine anti-ice was required during the descent also, necessitating a power of at least 55% on the N1's. We were doing the best we could, nose down about 20 degrees and the speed brakes up. Airspeed was around 330 KTS and the rate of descent was about 4000-5000 FPM. At about this time, the controller requested that we slow our speed back to 250 KTS and gave us a short vector. This speed reduction required a leveling off of the airplane in order to get the speed back. This has a double effect. It also puts us closer to our restriction at a higher altitude, something we did not need more of at this time. We were given a vector to reintercept the radial and the previous clearance. Again, the nose went down to around 20-25 degrees and the boards came up again. We were coming down like a ton of bricks (literally). We were not able to cross the intersection at the altitude per the STAR. ATC said nothing and hopefully did nothing. We were doing our best under the circumstances and were approaching the performance limits of the aircraft and entering a realm of physical discomfort for the passenger, due to the steep pitch attitude and the high levels of wind noise. At a 3 to 1 descent ratio, it was necessary to start down no later than 85 DME from hou, the point where we had to ask for lower. The tailwind, the engine anti-ice on, the speed reduction combined and the late clearance for descent combined to make the STAR compliance rather difficult, at best. One way of ensuring that same thing does not occur again, is of course to educate the controllers about the characteristics of the airplanes in their airspace. This I realize is not practical due to the large assortment of varied airplanes flying today. Other than that, I am at a lost off how to deal with a similar situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF LGT ON STAR INTO HOU IS UNABLE TO MAKE THE CROSSING RESTRICTION DUE TO TAILWIND, HIGH ENGINE RPM WHILE USING ANTI-ICE AND ATC SPEED RESTRICTION.

Narrative: WHILE OPERATING ON A FLT FROM SAT TO HOU, WE WERE GIVEN A CLB TO OUR FINAL REQUESTED ALT OF 25000'. UPON REACHING THIS ALT OUR DME FROM HOU INDICATED 86. THE LEESE ARR HAS AN XING RESTRICTION OF 40 DME AT 10000' AND 250 KTS AIRSPD. BEFORE ACTUALLY REACHING THIS ALT, WE REQUESTED A DSCNT IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE STAR. WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO FL240. AFTER A FREQ CHANGE, WE REQUESTED LOWER AND WERE ASSIGNED THE LEESE STAR FOR HOU. WE BEGAN OUR DSCNT. TRAVELING W TO E, THE WINDS GAVE US AN ADDITIONAL PUSH ON THE TAIL. ENG ANTI-ICE WAS REQUIRED DURING THE DSCNT ALSO, NECESSITATING A PWR OF AT LEAST 55% ON THE N1'S. WE WERE DOING THE BEST WE COULD, NOSE DOWN ABOUT 20 DEGS AND THE SPD BRAKES UP. AIRSPD WAS AROUND 330 KTS AND THE RATE OF DSCNT WAS ABOUT 4000-5000 FPM. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, THE CTLR REQUESTED THAT WE SLOW OUR SPD BACK TO 250 KTS AND GAVE US A SHORT VECTOR. THIS SPD REDUCTION REQUIRED A LEVELING OFF OF THE AIRPLANE IN ORDER TO GET THE SPD BACK. THIS HAS A DOUBLE EFFECT. IT ALSO PUTS US CLOSER TO OUR RESTRICTION AT A HIGHER ALT, SOMETHING WE DID NOT NEED MORE OF AT THIS TIME. WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO REINTERCEPT THE RADIAL AND THE PREVIOUS CLRNC. AGAIN, THE NOSE WENT DOWN TO AROUND 20-25 DEGS AND THE BOARDS CAME UP AGAIN. WE WERE COMING DOWN LIKE A TON OF BRICKS (LITERALLY). WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CROSS THE INTXN AT THE ALT PER THE STAR. ATC SAID NOTHING AND HOPEFULLY DID NOTHING. WE WERE DOING OUR BEST UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND WERE APCHING THE PERFORMANCE LIMITS OF THE ACFT AND ENTERING A REALM OF PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT FOR THE PAX, DUE TO THE STEEP PITCH ATTITUDE AND THE HIGH LEVELS OF WIND NOISE. AT A 3 TO 1 DSCNT RATIO, IT WAS NECESSARY TO START DOWN NO LATER THAN 85 DME FROM HOU, THE POINT WHERE WE HAD TO ASK FOR LOWER. THE TAILWIND, THE ENG ANTI-ICE ON, THE SPD REDUCTION COMBINED AND THE LATE CLRNC FOR DSCNT COMBINED TO MAKE THE STAR COMPLIANCE RATHER DIFFICULT, AT BEST. ONE WAY OF ENSURING THAT SAME THING DOES NOT OCCUR AGAIN, IS OF COURSE TO EDUCATE THE CTLRS ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRPLANES IN THEIR AIRSPACE. THIS I REALIZE IS NOT PRACTICAL DUE TO THE LARGE ASSORTMENT OF VARIED AIRPLANES FLYING TODAY. OTHER THAN THAT, I AM AT A LOST OFF HOW TO DEAL WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.