AN ACR DC9 FLC CROSSED THE LTOWN FIX TOO HIGH WHEN THEY MISREFED THE DME DISTANCE TO TO THE FIX.

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AFTER NUMEROUS ATC DIRECTED DSCNTS AND HDG CHANGES; THE ACR FLT WAS CLRED TO CROSS LTOWN INTXN; ON WILDER 1 ARR TO MEM; AT 14000 FT AND 250 KTS. LTOWN DME IS 40 DME. AS PF; I EARLIER PLANNED TO ASK FOR/START DSCNT TO CROSS LTOWN AT 12000 FT AND 250 KTS. NUMEROUS ALT/HDG CHANGES AND BUSY COCKPIT PROCS; WHEN COUPLED WITH ERRONEOUS DME FOR LTOWN VERBALLY STATED BY CAPT; CAUSED ME TO MENTALLY RESET DSCNT PLANNING TO CROSS LTOWN AT 20 DME VICE 40 DME. THIS ERROR REINFORCED BY HVY ATC DIRECTIONS /RADIO COMS. NEWNESS OF WILDER 1 ARR USAGE. CAPT'S STATEMENT THAT 'LTOWN WAS 20 DME.' '20 DME' WRITTEN ON WILDER 1 ARR CHART AT LTOWN INTXN. THIS IS SEGMENT DME FROM LAST INTXN CLOSER TO MEM AND NOT ACTUAL TOTAL DME TO LTOWN (40 DME). ALL ABOVE RESULTED IN PNF TO MAKE ERRONEOUS VERBAL CALL OF LTOWN DME WHICH IN BUSY ATC ENVIRONMENT ALLOWED PF TO MENTALLY 'RESET' LTOWN TO WRONG DME RESULTING IN XING LTOWN AT WRONG ALT AND AIRSPD. PNF WAS IN ERROR; BUT AS CAPT; MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY INFLUENCED PF BY FACT THAT HE'S CAPT AND UNCONSCIOUSLY 'MUST BE RIGHT.' HE WASN'T; AND WE FAILED TO MEET ATC RESTRS. NO ATC PROBS ENCOUNTERED PER LATER PHONE CONVERSATION WITH MEM APCH CTLRS.