ATC and flight crew disagreed regarding crossing restr compliance.

Attributes
ACN	317000
Time
Date	199509
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 26400 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	317000
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : crossing restriction not met altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While flying the bunker arrival into msp, our clearance was to cross cedar at or below 10000 ft and to maintain 9000 ft. During descent our DME dropped its lock then stabilized again. I could see we were going to be close at cedar and advised msp that cedar was going to be tight. His reply was something like, 'well, I have no choice, I show you past cedar. Contact approach.' we were not at cedar yet and did, in fact, make the crossing restr altitude. No further conversation was available.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC AND FLC DISAGREED REGARDING XING RESTR COMPLIANCE.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING THE BUNKER ARR INTO MSP, OUR CLRNC WAS TO CROSS CEDAR AT OR BELOW 10000 FT AND TO MAINTAIN 9000 FT. DURING DSCNT OUR DME DROPPED ITS LOCK THEN STABILIZED AGAIN. I COULD SEE WE WERE GOING TO BE CLOSE AT CEDAR AND ADVISED MSP THAT CEDAR WAS GOING TO BE TIGHT. HIS REPLY WAS SOMETHING LIKE, 'WELL, I HAVE NO CHOICE, I SHOW YOU PAST CEDAR. CONTACT APCH.' WE WERE NOT AT CEDAR YET AND DID, IN FACT, MAKE THE XING RESTR ALT. NO FURTHER CONVERSATION WAS AVAILABLE.

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.