AN ACR FLC OF A B737-300 DSNDS BELOW THEIR ASSIGNED ALT WITHOUT A CLRNC. THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR CORRECTS THEM AND ASSIGNS THEM A LOWER ALT.

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ON APR SUN 1997; WHILE CAPT FLYING; PHX-SNA; WE WERE CLRED TO PROCEED TO SNA VIA FMS EASTSIDE ONE ARR; AFTER XING PSP AT 14000 FT; WE STARTED DSCNT TO 7000 FT AT KAYOH. WE UNDERSTOOD EASTSIDE ONE CLRNC TO INCLUDE 'CLRED TO DSND' PROVISO OF FMS ARR. WHILE ON ZLA FREQ 134.0; CTLR INQUIRED OUR PRESENCE AT 13300 FT AND TOLD US TO LEVEL OFF AT 13000 FT. NO FURTHER CONTRADICTION NOTED. I CALLED ZLA AND DISCUSSED AT LENGTH THE CONTRADICTORY SIT WITH A CTLR SUPVR. MUCH DISCUSSION REVOLVED AROUND THE FACT THAT THE EASTSIDE ONE ARR IS THE ONLY FMS ARR KNOWN TO THIS AVIATOR TO RETAIN DSCNT CLRNC AFTER BEING CLRED FOR FMS APCH. CERTAINLY; A SIT FOR CONFUSION WHEN COMPARED TO MOST; IF NOT ALL OTHER FMS APCHS I'M FAMILIAR WITH. THE CTLR SUPVR; NOTED A 'NO HARM; NO FILE' POSITIVE ON THE FAA'S PART; SINCE NO CONFLICT WAS INVOLVED. DISCOVERY OF THIS SINGULAR DEV IN WHAT IS ACCEPTED FMS ARR PROCS LEAVES A WIDE GAP IN THE AIRSPACE SAFETY NET. ALIGNMENT OF THE DSCNT PROCS OF THE EASTSIDE ONE FMS ARR SHOULD BE ALIGNED MORE CLOSELY WITH SUCH FMS ARRS AS THE CIVET ARR AT LAX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS B737-300 CAPT SAID THAT UPON REVIEWING THE FMS STAR CHART; HE SAW THE NOTE ABOUT MAINTAINING THE LAST ASSIGNED ALT UNTIL PASSING KAYOH; HOWEVER; HE STILL THINKS THAT THE STAR IS MISLEADING AND ITS FORMAT CONFUSING. HE SAID THAT HE AND THE FO WERE AWARE OF THE DIFFICULTY OF DSNDING ON THE PROFILE BEYOND KAYOH AND THEY DID NOT WANT TO CROSS ABOVE THAT INTXN'S ALT (NOW 7000 FT AND 190 KTS) AND AIRSPD. THE FLC STARTED THEIR DSCNT BELOW 14000 FT AFTER XING BANDS WITH THE POST KAYOH PROB IN MIND; HE REPEATED.