Narrative:

I possibly missed crossing restr because relief may have been granted by ATC. I was the pilot, flying leg from mia to lga, had the arrival and all crossing restrs programmed in FMC. Just before top of descent, nature called and I had to use the lavatory. We have the 'katie bar' to stop cockpit intruders and 2 people must be in cockpit at all times. I left the cockpit and a flight attendant came in to resecure the door. This was all around the top of descent point. With the distraction of me leaving, the flight attendant coming in and having trouble securing the katie bar, the copilot missed the top of descent point. When I returned to flying the plane, already in descent, I realized we were high on the profile. I deployed speed brakes and recalculated. I knew it would be close. Approaching brand, I realized we wouldn't make korry at 10000 ft. ATC was very busy, but I told first officer to request relief on the crossing restr. At this time, the flight attendant called from the back for some information. While I was talking to her, first officer was talking to ATC. He said ATC instructed us to reduce speed. Since his conversation with ATC happened while I was talking to flight attendant, I don't now what was exactly said. I asked if they granted relief and he replied the speed reduction gave us relief on the crossing restr. I wanted him to confirm relief with ATC, but they were very busy. By then, we crossed korry more than 1000 ft high and leveled at 10000 ft within a few mi. There were no conflicts or separation problems and ATC didn't indicate anything abnormal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT RETURNS TO COCKPIT, RECOGNIZING THAT RESTRS WILL NOT BE MADE, AND UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN XING RELIEF CLARIFICATION FROM FO AND CTLR.

Narrative: I POSSIBLY MISSED XING RESTR BECAUSE RELIEF MAY HAVE BEEN GRANTED BY ATC. I WAS THE PLT, FLYING LEG FROM MIA TO LGA, HAD THE ARR AND ALL XING RESTRS PROGRAMMED IN FMC. JUST BEFORE TOP OF DSCNT, NATURE CALLED AND I HAD TO USE THE LAVATORY. WE HAVE THE 'KATIE BAR' TO STOP COCKPIT INTRUDERS AND 2 PEOPLE MUST BE IN COCKPIT AT ALL TIMES. I LEFT THE COCKPIT AND A FLT ATTENDANT CAME IN TO RESECURE THE DOOR. THIS WAS ALL AROUND THE TOP OF DSCNT POINT. WITH THE DISTR OF ME LEAVING, THE FLT ATTENDANT COMING IN AND HAVING TROUBLE SECURING THE KATIE BAR, THE COPLT MISSED THE TOP OF DSCNT POINT. WHEN I RETURNED TO FLYING THE PLANE, ALREADY IN DSCNT, I REALIZED WE WERE HIGH ON THE PROFILE. I DEPLOYED SPD BRAKES AND RECALCULATED. I KNEW IT WOULD BE CLOSE. APCHING BRAND, I REALIZED WE WOULDN'T MAKE KORRY AT 10000 FT. ATC WAS VERY BUSY, BUT I TOLD FO TO REQUEST RELIEF ON THE XING RESTR. AT THIS TIME, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED FROM THE BACK FOR SOME INFO. WHILE I WAS TALKING TO HER, FO WAS TALKING TO ATC. HE SAID ATC INSTRUCTED US TO REDUCE SPD. SINCE HIS CONVERSATION WITH ATC HAPPENED WHILE I WAS TALKING TO FLT ATTENDANT, I DON'T NOW WHAT WAS EXACTLY SAID. I ASKED IF THEY GRANTED RELIEF AND HE REPLIED THE SPD REDUCTION GAVE US RELIEF ON THE XING RESTR. I WANTED HIM TO CONFIRM RELIEF WITH ATC, BUT THEY WERE VERY BUSY. BY THEN, WE CROSSED KORRY MORE THAN 1000 FT HIGH AND LEVELED AT 10000 FT WITHIN A FEW MI. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS OR SEPARATION PROBS AND ATC DIDN'T INDICATE ANYTHING ABNORMAL.

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.