Altitude deviation. Altitude undershot. Crossing restriction not made.

Attributes
ACN	142226
Time
Date	199004
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : srp
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	142226
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	142226
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

ZAB ATC held us up at altitude due to conflicting traffic until it was impossible to make the required restriction. Every day ATC presses us harder to make altitude and airspeed restrictions, thus we as airline pilots are exposed to the possibility of not complying due to the unrealistic requests made by ATC. Every day that I fly ATC asks questions like, 'verify altitude,' 'verify airspeed,' 'verify heading.' this leads me to believe that their equipment is not accurate enough to violate us on minor altitude or airspeed deviations, yet if we are prosecuted, we are automatically guilty with absolutely no chance of winning a court battle with these close-minded bureaucrats. I don't have the answer to their problem, but I feel like I put my ticket on the line every time I fly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION. ALT UNDERSHOT. CROSSING RESTRICTION NOT MADE.

Narrative: ZAB ATC HELD US UP AT ALT DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC UNTIL IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE THE REQUIRED RESTRICTION. EVERY DAY ATC PRESSES US HARDER TO MAKE ALT AND AIRSPD RESTRICTIONS, THUS WE AS AIRLINE PLTS ARE EXPOSED TO THE POSSIBILITY OF NOT COMPLYING DUE TO THE UNREALISTIC REQUESTS MADE BY ATC. EVERY DAY THAT I FLY ATC ASKS QUESTIONS LIKE, 'VERIFY ALT,' 'VERIFY AIRSPD,' 'VERIFY HDG.' THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THEIR EQUIP IS NOT ACCURATE ENOUGH TO VIOLATE US ON MINOR ALT OR AIRSPD DEVIATIONS, YET IF WE ARE PROSECUTED, WE ARE AUTOMATICALLY GUILTY WITH ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE OF WINNING A COURT BATTLE WITH THESE CLOSE-MINDED BUREAUCRATS. I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THEIR PROB, BUT I FEEL LIKE I PUT MY TICKET ON THE LINE EVERY TIME I FLY.

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.