Narrative:

A very extensive briefing for arrival into dca was conducted as the first officer had only been here once; and had landed to the north; which is considerably less challenging. Considerations included the restr areas; the river visual challenges; runway recognition (runway 19 versus runway 15); etc. After loading the eldee arrival into the FMC; the first officer mentioned that he had written on his plates several altitude changes for this arrival; which were different from what was in the FMC. I looked in the paperwork to find a NOTAM regarding these changes; as did the first officer and was unable to find these. Assuming that they were temporary restrs; we went with what was in the FMC and what was on the current STAR plate. The fixes were all correct; but the vertical profile had been changed. The jumpseater; who is very familiar with the RNAV arrival; having been involved in its creation; was also providing input. After receiving our descent clearance; which consisted of only 'cleared to descend on the eldee arrival' (no altitude mentioned); we proceeded to descend on the default FMC profile. The VNAV function of this update has an annoying characteristic of slowing to the next crossing airspeed/fix; well before the fix. For example; if a fix has a 250 KT speed; you can still be 10; 20 mi away and the VNAV speed bug comes back to that speed. This is what happened with our speed at the same time we ascertained (from other radio traffic) that we did indeed have the wrong altitudes in the FMC. I began to dive for the altitude; thinking I was high on the profile; as the first officer queried the controller; who assured us that the next fix was an 'at or above.' so I don't believe we missed any crossing restrs; but the profile was all messed up after that; which contributed to my arrival for the river visual being high. Fix the eldee arrival; or suspend it until a new plate can be issued; or ensure that the NOTAM information is more prominent in the paperwork. As an aside; I noticed the eldee changes in my paperwork for the next day's departing flight. At the very least; in the interim; have the controllers confirm the first altitude fix when issuing the clearance. The jumpseater; an area expert and rnp architect; has informed me that there are many complaints about this arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737NG CAPT REPORTS DIFFICULTIES WITH ELDEE 3 ARRIVAL TO DCA AND THE NOTAM ADJUSTMENTS TO CROSSING RESTRICTIONS.

Narrative: A VERY EXTENSIVE BRIEFING FOR ARR INTO DCA WAS CONDUCTED AS THE FO HAD ONLY BEEN HERE ONCE; AND HAD LANDED TO THE N; WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY LESS CHALLENGING. CONSIDERATIONS INCLUDED THE RESTR AREAS; THE RIVER VISUAL CHALLENGES; RWY RECOGNITION (RWY 19 VERSUS RWY 15); ETC. AFTER LOADING THE ELDEE ARR INTO THE FMC; THE FO MENTIONED THAT HE HAD WRITTEN ON HIS PLATES SEVERAL ALT CHANGES FOR THIS ARR; WHICH WERE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WAS IN THE FMC. I LOOKED IN THE PAPERWORK TO FIND A NOTAM REGARDING THESE CHANGES; AS DID THE FO AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND THESE. ASSUMING THAT THEY WERE TEMPORARY RESTRS; WE WENT WITH WHAT WAS IN THE FMC AND WHAT WAS ON THE CURRENT STAR PLATE. THE FIXES WERE ALL CORRECT; BUT THE VERT PROFILE HAD BEEN CHANGED. THE JUMPSEATER; WHO IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RNAV ARR; HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN ITS CREATION; WAS ALSO PROVIDING INPUT. AFTER RECEIVING OUR DSCNT CLRNC; WHICH CONSISTED OF ONLY 'CLRED TO DSND ON THE ELDEE ARR' (NO ALT MENTIONED); WE PROCEEDED TO DSND ON THE DEFAULT FMC PROFILE. THE VNAV FUNCTION OF THIS UPDATE HAS AN ANNOYING CHARACTERISTIC OF SLOWING TO THE NEXT XING AIRSPD/FIX; WELL BEFORE THE FIX. FOR EXAMPLE; IF A FIX HAS A 250 KT SPD; YOU CAN STILL BE 10; 20 MI AWAY AND THE VNAV SPD BUG COMES BACK TO THAT SPD. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH OUR SPD AT THE SAME TIME WE ASCERTAINED (FROM OTHER RADIO TFC) THAT WE DID INDEED HAVE THE WRONG ALTS IN THE FMC. I BEGAN TO DIVE FOR THE ALT; THINKING I WAS HIGH ON THE PROFILE; AS THE FO QUERIED THE CTLR; WHO ASSURED US THAT THE NEXT FIX WAS AN 'AT OR ABOVE.' SO I DON'T BELIEVE WE MISSED ANY XING RESTRS; BUT THE PROFILE WAS ALL MESSED UP AFTER THAT; WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO MY ARR FOR THE RIVER VISUAL BEING HIGH. FIX THE ELDEE ARR; OR SUSPEND IT UNTIL A NEW PLATE CAN BE ISSUED; OR ENSURE THAT THE NOTAM INFO IS MORE PROMINENT IN THE PAPERWORK. AS AN ASIDE; I NOTICED THE ELDEE CHANGES IN MY PAPERWORK FOR THE NEXT DAY'S DEPARTING FLT. AT THE VERY LEAST; IN THE INTERIM; HAVE THE CTLRS CONFIRM THE FIRST ALT FIX WHEN ISSUING THE CLRNC. THE JUMPSEATER; AN AREA EXPERT AND RNP ARCHITECT; HAS INFORMED ME THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ARR.

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.