Narrative:

Arrival into denver. While on the powdr arrival, a business jet out of centennial started having problems and asked me to return to departure airport. It was clear that den approach control was getting extremely busy with this. The business jet then decided to continue to destination. The controller was overwhelmed. We were trying to listen to where he was as the controller started to 'move' aircraft to the larks arrival. We had a situation on our aircraft to be diligent of as well. A high pressure bleed valve was wired shut, and when descending in icing conditions (which we were definitely in icing conditions), the MEL calls for 71% north above 1000 ft on descent. As I'm trying to accomplish this, a jumpseater, who is type rated on our plane, questions this several times, and this became distracting, so I then threw the MEL back to him. At this time, the captain seemed to miss several calls. I was feeling 'loaded up.' I then looked at the MCP and saw 17000 ft on the altitude window. As I asked the captain about it, I realized I never heard 17000 ft. He said yes. I asked if it was 17000 ft at larks, he again replied yes. With 1 engine at 71%, I wasn't going to make it. We were IMC and in icing conditions. I asked 2-3 times to get relief from the controller. The captain didn't, so due to 'time critical' situation, I checked off autoplt and dove for it. I believe I was 500 ft high, but the captain thinks the 'turn to a heading' came before larks, which deletes the crossing restr. Den controller was overloaded with the emergency aircraft at that time, once stating to it 'just do a left 360 degrees!' everyone was overloaded, along with our 'special procedure,' our situational awareness, and team concept deteriorated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 INBOUND TO DEN MISSED ALT RESTR ON STAR.

Narrative: ARR INTO DENVER. WHILE ON THE POWDR ARR, A BUSINESS JET OUT OF CENTENNIAL STARTED HAVING PROBS AND ASKED ME TO RETURN TO DEP ARPT. IT WAS CLR THAT DEN APCH CTL WAS GETTING EXTREMELY BUSY WITH THIS. THE BUSINESS JET THEN DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO DEST. THE CTLR WAS OVERWHELMED. WE WERE TRYING TO LISTEN TO WHERE HE WAS AS THE CTLR STARTED TO 'MOVE' ACFT TO THE LARKS ARR. WE HAD A SIT ON OUR ACFT TO BE DILIGENT OF AS WELL. A HIGH PRESSURE BLEED VALVE WAS WIRED SHUT, AND WHEN DSNDING IN ICING CONDITIONS (WHICH WE WERE DEFINITELY IN ICING CONDITIONS), THE MEL CALLS FOR 71% N ABOVE 1000 FT ON DSCNT. AS I'M TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, A JUMPSEATER, WHO IS TYPE RATED ON OUR PLANE, QUESTIONS THIS SEVERAL TIMES, AND THIS BECAME DISTRACTING, SO I THEN THREW THE MEL BACK TO HIM. AT THIS TIME, THE CAPT SEEMED TO MISS SEVERAL CALLS. I WAS FEELING 'LOADED UP.' I THEN LOOKED AT THE MCP AND SAW 17000 FT ON THE ALT WINDOW. AS I ASKED THE CAPT ABOUT IT, I REALIZED I NEVER HEARD 17000 FT. HE SAID YES. I ASKED IF IT WAS 17000 FT AT LARKS, HE AGAIN REPLIED YES. WITH 1 ENG AT 71%, I WASN'T GOING TO MAKE IT. WE WERE IMC AND IN ICING CONDITIONS. I ASKED 2-3 TIMES TO GET RELIEF FROM THE CTLR. THE CAPT DIDN'T, SO DUE TO 'TIME CRITICAL' SIT, I CHKED OFF AUTOPLT AND DOVE FOR IT. I BELIEVE I WAS 500 FT HIGH, BUT THE CAPT THINKS THE 'TURN TO A HDG' CAME BEFORE LARKS, WHICH DELETES THE XING RESTR. DEN CTLR WAS OVERLOADED WITH THE EMER ACFT AT THAT TIME, ONCE STATING TO IT 'JUST DO A L 360 DEGS!' EVERYONE WAS OVERLOADED, ALONG WITH OUR 'SPECIAL PROC,' OUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, AND TEAM CONCEPT DETERIORATED.

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.