Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 35; Flight Crew Type 834
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude
Human Factors; Procedure
Directed to fly NNCEE arrival. Directed to descend to FL300 and then via NNCEE; subsequently ATC issued a late descent to 10 miles east of LINKK at 17000 feet. Programmed FMS and determined unable to meet restriction without relief from ATC.ATC provided relief; I flew a fast descent; and met altitude restriction. We were then switched to follow-on ATC controller. ATC controller questioned our descent while inbound NNCEE (at or below 12000 feet). We informed him we obtained relief from previous controller and he responded 'no problem'. We continued with 'descend via'.
I was the Pilot Monitoring during this flight. IAH center assigned the following descent. Descend to cross 10 East of LINKK at 17000!The issue with this clearance is that it was assigned late. The aircraft was already at the top of descent as planned by the FMC for a LINKK crossing between 17000 and 20000 at 280KTS. I immediately informed the center controller that we would need relief from this clearance. The controller responded that relief was granted but try to make the 17000 crossing 10 miles east of LINKK and it was okay if we were fast at the intersection.At LINKK we did make the 17000 and were approximately 320KTS and slowing. We were given a frequency change to IAH approach. This controller asked what our altitude and airspeed where. Then asked what our clearance was. I responded that the previous controller gave the flight 10 mile east of LINKK at 17000 but also provided relief. I also confirmed with this new controlled that we were still cleared to continue descent via the NNCEE 1 transition to runway 9; which he confirmed.
Flight crew reported requesting relief from Center; after receiving a late descent clearance. Approach controller later queried about the previously issued clearance.