A B737-700 ASKS FOR RELIEF FROM AN ALT XING RESTR AT FUZZY WHEN THE PIC; PF; EXECUTES AN FMC ENTRY PRIOR TO THE FO REVIEWING IT; ON FREQ WITH ZLA; CA.

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CAPT WAS FLYING. I WAS OFF FREQ (ATC) TO GET ATIS FOR LAS. HAD TO DELAY ATIS BECAUSE OF MOUNTAIN RANGE BTWN ARR AND LAS -- VERY HARD TO RECEIVE ATIS UNTIL LOWER; AROUND THE MOUNTAIN RANGE AND CLOSER TO LAS VEGAS. WHILE OFF; ATC CLRED THE ACFT TO CROSS FUZZY AT 16000 FT AND 280 KTS. WHEN I RETURNED TO FREQ; CAPT SAID THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS FUZZY AT 16000 FT; 280 KTS. I SAW WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO FUZZY. CAPT HAD SPD BRAKE OUT AND A GOOD RATE OF DSCNT. HE ASKED ME TO ASK ATC FOR ALT RELIEF AT FUZZY AS WE WOULD NOT MAKE THE RESTR. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE FMC; I FOUND THAT THE CAPT HAD PUT TO CROSS FUZZY AT FL280 AND 160 KTS. THIS IS WHY HE THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO MAKE ON THE FMC; AND NOT GOING TO MAKE IT; AS IT WAS HAPPENING. CAPT SAID HE FORGOT TO HAVE ME CHK THE ENTRY BEFORE EXECUTING THE FMC. LAS APCH; AFTER SWITCHING TO LOS ANGELES; GAVE US ALT RELIEF; AND A DSCNT TO 13000 FT; OUR SPD WAS UP FROM THE DSCNT AND WE WERE GAINING ON THE ACFT AHEAD OF US. LAS GAVE US A VECTOR TO THE R FOR SPACING. WE REJOINED THE ARR FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. LAS ATIS IS HARD TO GET UNTIL AROUND THE MOUNTAIN RANGE. YOU CAN BE OFF FREQ FOR SEVERAL MINS TRYING TO GET ATIS AT A TIME WHEN A LOT OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING; FREQ CHANGES; ALT CHANGES; HDGS; ETC. REMEMBER TO EXECUTE THE FMC AFTER THE PNF CHKS THE ENTRY.