DSNDING ACFT MISSED XING ALT RESTR.

Narrative

WE WERE TRANSPORTING THE ACFT OWNER ON ONE OF HIS VERY FREQUENT FLTS TO LAS VEGAS. UNFORTUNATELY HE TAKE THIS TIME ON THESE LAS VEGAS TRIPS TO COVER BUSINESS HAVING TO DO WITH HIS ACFT; FLTS; SCHEDULING; MAINT; ETC. THESE DISTRS CAN USUALLY BE HANDLED EASILY WHEN IN CRUISE; BUT ON DSCNT WHEN NAVIGATING A BUSY STAR (CRESO 3 ARR TO LAS VEGAS) IT CAN BECOME QUITE HECTIC; WITH AIRSPD; ALT; XING RESTRS; ATIS AND BUSINESS WITH THE PAX BEING CONDUCTED IN THE COCKPIT. WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS WHIGS INTXN AT 12000 FT ON OUR DSCNT. WE MISSED THE XING RESTR BY 600-800 FT. WE DISCOVERED OUR ERROR DSNDING OUT OF ABOUT 13500 FT; 2 MI BEFORE WHIGS. WE IMMEDIATELY 'HURRIED' OUR DSCNT BUT STILL MISSED THE RESTR ON THE HIGH SIDE. WE WERE BUSY TALKING TO OUR PAX AND BECAME DISTRACTED. COMPANY POLICY DICTATES THAT WE MAINTAIN A STERILE COCKPIT BELOW 10000 FT. 10000 FT MAY NOT BE HIGH ENOUGH IN A TURBO JET ON A BUSY RTE FOR A STERILE COCKPIT. IN NORMAL SITS I FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE TALKING TO PAX BELOW 18000 FT; BUT I SEEM TO END UP TALKING TO THEM QUITE OFTEN BELOW 18000 FT. ASCERTAINING PAX NEEDS OR REQUESTS UPON ARR WHILE STILL IN CRUISE; KEEPING THEM APPRISED OF DEST WX; GND TRANSPORTATION STATUS; ETC; WHILE STILL HIGH CAN ALLEVIATE MANY PROBS. AND BY BEING MORE ASSERTIVE TO THE PAX WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE TO CONDUCT BUSINESS WOULD ALSO ALLEVIATE MANY PROBS. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN CONVERSING WITH PAX DURING A FLT AT BUSY TIMES CAN BE A PROB; EVEN DURING CRUISE. MOST PAX WILL UNDERSTAND IF THE PLT TELLS THEM TRUTHFULLY ABOUT THE STERILE COCKPIT CONCEPT OR THEY ARE JUST TOO BUSY TO TALK. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE A PAX DOESN'T UNDERSTAND OR DISREGARDS THE PLTS REQUEST - AS THIS ACFT OWNER/PAX OFTEN DOES. IN THE FUTURE WE; THE PLTS; NEED TO BE MUCH MORE FORCEFUL TO THESE PAX WHO PICK THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIMES TO TALK. AND WE MUST REMEMBER THAT STERILE COCKPIT PROCS CAN GO INTO EFFECT AT ANY TIME NO MATTER WHAT THE ALT IS. ONE OTHER PROB - EVEN IF THE PLT MONITORING THE RADIO IS NOT PART OF THE CONVERSATION BTWN THE OTHER PLT AND THE PAX IT IS STILL QUITE HARD TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND ATC; AND IT IS HARD FOR ATC TO UNDERSTAND US BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE LOUD BACKGROUND CONVERSATION NOISE.