Narrative:

The captain was the PF. We were cleared to descend via the eldee 3 arrival into dca. After leveling off at 9000 ft just before reaching daric; I inquired with potomac approach about the routing I was to fly and also the speed restr; or rather lack thereof; after passing eldee. We were expecting runway 1. The controller confirmed that after eldee our next fix would be dmall and the 210 KTS restr would not apply. Just prior to reaching eldee; the controller advised us that we were supposed to be at 8000 ft by eldee. We were still at 9000 ft. I quickly descended to 8000 ft; however; the crossing was missed. I apologized and explained to the controller that the note for eldee at 8000 ft says; 'landing ronald reagan washington national (runway 19)' and that's why I did not descend as I was told to expect runway 1. I made the assumption that the entire balloon referencing altitude and speeds at eldee would not apply and assumed I had confirmation of this. Obviously; I was wrong. The note for the eldee intersection should be reconfigured to indicate that the 8000 ft mandatory altitude applies to all runways at dca; while the 210 KTS speed restr is only applicable to aircraft expecting runway 19. After having made this mistake I can see the distinction between the crossing altitude and the note on the airspeed for runway 19. However; I feel for future pilots coming in on the eldee 3 arrival it would be nice to have no ambiguity on whether a crossing restr applies to all runways or just runway 19.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB 145 FLT CREW MISSES A CROSSING RESTRICTION ON ARRIVAL TO DCA. CHART CONFUSION IS CITED AS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS THE PF. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND VIA THE ELDEE 3 ARR INTO DCA. AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 9000 FT JUST BEFORE REACHING DARIC; I INQUIRED WITH POTOMAC APCH ABOUT THE ROUTING I WAS TO FLY AND ALSO THE SPD RESTR; OR RATHER LACK THEREOF; AFTER PASSING ELDEE. WE WERE EXPECTING RWY 1. THE CTLR CONFIRMED THAT AFTER ELDEE OUR NEXT FIX WOULD BE DMALL AND THE 210 KTS RESTR WOULD NOT APPLY. JUST PRIOR TO REACHING ELDEE; THE CTLR ADVISED US THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT 8000 FT BY ELDEE. WE WERE STILL AT 9000 FT. I QUICKLY DSNDED TO 8000 FT; HOWEVER; THE XING WAS MISSED. I APOLOGIZED AND EXPLAINED TO THE CTLR THAT THE NOTE FOR ELDEE AT 8000 FT SAYS; 'LNDG RONALD REAGAN WASHINGTON NATL (RWY 19)' AND THAT'S WHY I DID NOT DSND AS I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 1. I MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE ENTIRE BALLOON REFING ALT AND SPDS AT ELDEE WOULD NOT APPLY AND ASSUMED I HAD CONFIRMATION OF THIS. OBVIOUSLY; I WAS WRONG. THE NOTE FOR THE ELDEE INTXN SHOULD BE RECONFIGURED TO INDICATE THAT THE 8000 FT MANDATORY ALT APPLIES TO ALL RWYS AT DCA; WHILE THE 210 KTS SPD RESTR IS ONLY APPLICABLE TO ACFT EXPECTING RWY 19. AFTER HAVING MADE THIS MISTAKE I CAN SEE THE DISTINCTION BTWN THE XING ALT AND THE NOTE ON THE AIRSPD FOR RWY 19. HOWEVER; I FEEL FOR FUTURE PLTS COMING IN ON THE ELDEE 3 ARR IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE NO AMBIGUITY ON WHETHER A XING RESTR APPLIES TO ALL RWYS OR JUST RWY 19.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.