B737-700
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 397
Situational Awareness; Confusion
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew FLC Overrode Automation
Human Factors; Procedure; Aircraft; Chart Or Publication
We were cleared as filed into DEN via the WOLLF transition; CREDE RNAV ARR; CREDE to be crossed at or above FL210. Just before CREDE; we were cleared; 'Direct to CREDE; descend via the RNAV ARR.' We were already direct to CREDE; so we loaded the new arrival in the box and cleared the discontinuities. Here's the rub: on the TELLR STAR CREDE has a restriction of FL190A; not FL210A. However; when you join the new arrival to the route the old crossing restriction stayed active. We caught it during the crew briefing; but this could really screw you if you end up high on the path.  This is a gotcha that not many are aware of and DEN is notorious for doing this. Either educate the pilots; fix this in the FMC programming; or get DEN to quit constantly changing things in the middle of a descent.
A B-737NG flight crew was surprised to note that--when ATC switched their arrival to DEN from the CREDE RNAV ARR to the TELLR RNAV ARR just prior to waypoint CREDE (which is a fix on both arrivals)--that; after reprogramming their route and closing route discontinuities; the CREDE crossing restriction from the CREDE STAR; FL210A; had remained 'active' instead of changing to the TELLR STAR restriction of at or above FL190.