Doug, I promise it wasn't me...
Heres a traffic scenario a very plausible explanation of what might have happened to you.
I want to stress this is an example, every single situation is different, and it very well could be a bunch of different reasons, everything from new calls from the TMU, to simply the controllers plan just didn't work out the way they planned.
Here's the scenario... four airplanes all landing at "Former President International"... We get a heads up with little notice from them TMU that they need 15NM in-trail spacing at FIXXA regardless of altitude.
All four airplanes are going to meet over FIXXA Intersection within roughly the same time.
Here's the lineup to START:
Lead aircraft is a B757 flying M.78, 3 miles behind is is a B767 flying M.80, 3-4 miles back is a B777 flying M.84 followed by a B747 flying M.86.
General rule if able is let the fast guys go fast, the slow guys to the back unless its overly restricted. If we don't it just leaves the next guy screwed, you can't slow a 747 down enough behind a 757 which would just make it a huge mess down the line.
So let's assume for a moment you're the 767, at the flight planned speeds you're going to fall in third but only 4 miles behind the 777, and 3 miles ahead of the 757, (757 taking up the rear)
So here's the fix (Assume we need 15 NM intrail spacing regardless of altitude)
B747, keep pedalling fast he's going to pass everyone.
B777 reduce to a M.82 until roughly FIXXA to acomplish the required 15NM spacing behind the 747 by FIXXA, no vectors
B767 Increase to a M.82 to pass the 757 traffic to get 15NM by FIXXA.
B757... 90 degree vector to course Locked down at M.78 or less
B767 Again, after the 757 60-70 degree vector until you've got enough space with the 777 turn them back direct FIXXA, followed by the 757
Trying to slow down a 777 behind a 767/757 doesn't work, never will... I know this doesn't make any sense, but a 777 flying M.82 will always be faster than a 767 flying M.82, it's just a weird fact, I can't explain it, but we see it every day. In other words, it's just a lot easier to let the bigger guys blast through...
(If the upper level winds are wacky you can expect to get shuffled with everyone else to a close flight level so that wind speeds don't destroy the plan, I've seen an aircraft at FL380 doing M.80 passing an airplane at FL320 doing M.85, which makes it nearly impossible to utilize speed control unless you get them at the same or very close flight levels.)
**DISCLAIMER** I made this scenario up in my head, and at 1AM it makes sense... so please don't pick the math completely to pieces but hopefully you can see where I'm going with it.
Make Sense?? Probably not since it barely makese sense to me, so I broke out my artistic attempts despite my inability to draw a straight line... this is a horrible representation, but maybe it helps...
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