A CTR CTLR PROMPTS AN ACR CREW TO BEGIN DSCNT WHEN IT BECOMES APPARENT THAT THE PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED XING RESTR WILL BE DIFFICULT TO MAKE. VECTORS ARE GIVEN FOR ALT LOSS AND THE XING IS MADE.

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WE WERE ON THE SHINE 5 ARR AND CLRED TO CROSS SHINE AT 11000 FT AND 250 KIAS. CTR CALLED US AND ASKED US TO INITIATE OUR DSCNT. AFTER WE BEGAN OUR DSCNT; CTR CALLED AGAIN AND ASKED IF WE COULD MAKE THE RESTR. I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT IT APPEARED WE MIGHT NOT QUITE MAKE THE RESTR. THE CTLR PROVIDED A VECTOR OFF THE STAR (SHINE 5) AND WE CONTINUED OUR DSCNT. AS IT STARTED TO APPEAR THAT WE HAD LOST SOME ADDITIONAL ALT; THE CTLR PROVIDED A VECTOR FOR US TO REJOIN THE STAR. I BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS EVENT: 1) DISTR: I SAW MY FO CORRECTLY ENTER THE XING RESTR IN THE FMS AND PRESELECT 11000 FT IN THE ALT SELECTOR. I TURNED MY ATTN TO COPYING THE ATIS AT CLT AND THE FO MISSED THE TOP OF DSCNT; AS DID I. 2) AUTOMATION: ALTHOUGH THE AUTOMATION HAD BEEN SET UP CORRECTLY; IT DID NOT FUNCTION AS EXPECTED. 3) FATIGUE: MY CREW AND I HAD A REDUCED REST OVERNIGHT AND WERE 5 HRS INTO A DAY THAT SO FAR HAD OFFERED NO OPPORTUNITIES FOR REST OR NOURISHMENT. 4) IN DEBRIEFING WITH MY FO; I LEARNED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO CALCULATE A TOP-OF-DSCNT AND WAS; APPARENTLY; RELYING COMPLETELY ON THE FMS TO DO IT FOR HIM. AS HE WAS THE PF; AND I WAS CHKING THE ATIS; THE DSCNT WAS NOT INITIATED AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME; THEREFORE (TRAINING ISSUE). 5) EXPERIENCE: I AM STILL NEW TO THE ACFT. THE FO IS ALSO NEW TO THE ACFT; ALTHOUGH NOT TECHNICALLY GREEN. 6) WIND: THERE WAS A STRONG TAILWIND COMPONENT PRESENT DURING THE ENTIRE DSCNT. ESPECIALLY AT THE LOWER ALTS; THE WIND WAS STRONGER THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED.