Narrative:

I was flying the marcs 4 arrival to sat. We were level at FL280. Controller instructed to 'descend via marcs 4 arrival.' I programmed 13000 ft into the FMS to cross marcs at 13000 ft. Our top of descent point was over marcs to cross braun at 10000 ft. I started the descent early to ensure crossing braun at 10000 ft in case the controller slowed us down and affected our descent rate. We were over marcs at 11000 ft when the controller asked what our arrival showed for the altitude at marcs. He said marcs is at 13000 ft so we don't go into approach control's airspace. He said it was just recently changed on the arrival. The captain and I both had the new chart (oct/98). I knew the arrival said to cross marcs at 13000 ft but I didn't realize it was a mandatory crossing restr. Supplemental information from acn 418241: both the copilot and myself were fatigued due to the early sign-in at our domicile as well as the commute to the base and lack of sleep the previous night. Also, the unfamiliarity with such a clearance confused us as to the crossing parameters of the arrival. I feel the arrival should be changed back to standard crossing restrs given by ATC, or the arrival should be annotated to include the words 'mandatory altitude.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CROSSES MARCS INTXN IN DSCNT AT 11000 FT WHEN THE CHART CALLS FOR AN ALT XING RESTR OF 13000 FT. CTR CTLR JUMPS IN WITH A REMINDER BUT A BIT TOO LATE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING THE MARCS 4 ARR TO SAT. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL280. CTLR INSTRUCTED TO 'DSND VIA MARCS 4 ARR.' I PROGRAMMED 13000 FT INTO THE FMS TO CROSS MARCS AT 13000 FT. OUR TOP OF DSCNT POINT WAS OVER MARCS TO CROSS BRAUN AT 10000 FT. I STARTED THE DSCNT EARLY TO ENSURE XING BRAUN AT 10000 FT IN CASE THE CTLR SLOWED US DOWN AND AFFECTED OUR DSCNT RATE. WE WERE OVER MARCS AT 11000 FT WHEN THE CTLR ASKED WHAT OUR ARR SHOWED FOR THE ALT AT MARCS. HE SAID MARCS IS AT 13000 FT SO WE DON'T GO INTO APCH CTL'S AIRSPACE. HE SAID IT WAS JUST RECENTLY CHANGED ON THE ARR. THE CAPT AND I BOTH HAD THE NEW CHART (OCT/98). I KNEW THE ARR SAID TO CROSS MARCS AT 13000 FT BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS A MANDATORY XING RESTR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 418241: BOTH THE COPLT AND MYSELF WERE FATIGUED DUE TO THE EARLY SIGN-IN AT OUR DOMICILE AS WELL AS THE COMMUTE TO THE BASE AND LACK OF SLEEP THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. ALSO, THE UNFAMILIARITY WITH SUCH A CLRNC CONFUSED US AS TO THE XING PARAMETERS OF THE ARR. I FEEL THE ARR SHOULD BE CHANGED BACK TO STANDARD XING RESTRS GIVEN BY ATC, OR THE ARR SHOULD BE ANNOTATED TO INCLUDE THE WORDS 'MANDATORY ALT.'

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.