AN ACR MD80 FLC WAS GIVEN A XING ALT AND SPD AT 'FEVER;' BUT THE VECTOR THEY WERE ASSIGNED WOULD NOT TAKE THEM ACROSS THAT INTXN. DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION THEY WERE UNABLE TO TELL THE CTLR THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO PASS ABEAM 'FEVER' AT THE ASSIGNED ALT AND SPD.

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ENRTE FROM SAT TO DFW S OF THE BULLE INTXN WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO GLEN ROSE FOR THE ARR. SHORTLY AFTER ATC GAVE US A VECTOR OF 020 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE ARR N OF GLEN ROSE. ON A HDG OF 020 DEGS WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO DSND TO 15000 FT AND MAINTAIN 310 KTS OR GREATER. JUST ABOUT ABEAM GLEN ROSE WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS FEVER INTXN; 039 DEG RADIAL; 15 DME; 250 KTS AT 11000 FT; WHEN WE REALIZED WITH THE CUTOFF ANGLE OF 020 DEG HDG WE WERE A LOT CLOSER TO FEVER THAN WE FIGURED AND WOULDN'T MAKE THE RESTR. WE TRIED TO CONTACT ATC; BUT WERE UNABLE DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. ON THE HDG OF 020 DEGS WE PASSED E AND ABEAM OF FEVER INTXN BTWN 13500 FT AND 13000 FT. WHEN WE LEVELED OFF ATC ISSUED US A FREQ CHANGE TO APCH CTL. HE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE RESTR SINCE WE WERE LEADING THE PACK. WE SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED THE XING AT FEVER; BUT WE DIDN'T THINK WE WOULD RECEIVE IT SINCE THE HEADING WOULD HAVE US INTERCEPT THE RADIAL N OF THE FEVER INTXN. WE HAD EVERYTHING HANGING OUT TO GET DOWN AS QUICKLY AS WE COULD; BUT WERE UNABLE TO MAKE THE RESTR. WE ONLY MISSED BY A FEW MI AND THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE ANY CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC. FREQ CONGESTION HAMPERED OUR ABILITY TO INFORM ATC OF OUR PROB UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE.