A BE400 CPR JET FAILS TO MAKE THE ALT XING RESTR 26 MI SE OF THE EAGLE VOR.

Narrative

FO WAS FLYING; DSNDING INTO ASPEN; CO. ATC INSTRUCTION WAS TO DSND TO 17000 FT AFTER A SERIES OF STEP-DOWNS. ATC THEN INSTRUCTED US (WE WERE ROUGHLY AT FL240) TO CROSS 26 DME SE OF DBL VOR AT 17000 FT; IF ABLE. I REPEATED THE CLRNC WITH A 'WE'LL DO OUR BEST.' THIS REQUIRED A DSCNT RATE IN EXCESS OF 6000 FPM. THE 26 DME IS A FIX ON THE HIGH CHART WITH NO EXPECT TO CROSS ALTS FOUND ON A STAR. WE DID OUR BEST; BUT WERE ABOUT 1000 FT HIGH WHEN WE CROSSED. CTR SAID NOTHING AS HE ASKED US TO CROSS IF ABLE AND WE SAID WE WOULD DO OUR BEST. IT SEEMS ATC MAY SOMETIMES FORGET TO DSND AN ACFT TO BE AT A DESIRED ALT AT A CERTAIN FIX WITHOUT VERY HIGH RATES OF DSCNT. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHERE WE HAVE ASKED FOR LOWER SO AS NOT TO HAVE TO DSND AT AN UNCOMFORTABLE RATE OF DSCNT (FOR PAX). I REALIZE THAT THIS MAY BE NECESSARY SOMETIMES FOR AIRSPACE ARR AND DEP GATES. OCCASIONALLY A CTLR WILL ISSUE A DSCNT CLRNC TO A LOWER ALT WITH AN EXPECT TO CROSS A FIX AT A GIVEN ALT. THIS HELPS PLTS WITH DSCNT PLANNING.