Date: 201908
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: IAH.Airport, TX
Flight conditions: VMC
Aircraft: A319
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Descent
Airspace: Class B IAH
ATC / advisory: TRACON I90
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Undershoot; Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: We were flight planned to end up in IAH on the GUSHR arrival.  Halfway to IAH the weather had moved east and we were given a quicker route to SWB for the ZEEKK2 arrival.  In Ft. Worth airspace and approaching SWB we were assigned the GESNR1 arrival which did not match current ATIS for landing runways.  Inside of SWB we were told to descend via the ZEEKK2 arrival.  My FO (First Officer) asked for confirmation because we had been given the GESNR arrival just a few minutes earlier.  The Controller said we should be on the ZEEKK arrival and the GESNR was assigned in error. We heard him discuss this same problem with an aircraft behind us who was also assigned the GESNR in error.  The Controller realized this and cleared us direct to ZEEKK and descend via the ZEEKK arrival.  We were leading the pack and he said to delete speed restrictions.  We entered direct ZEEKK in the FMC and were in a managed descent.  We then reprogrammed the FMC with the ZEEKK arrival. Everything looked on track for the ZEEKK crossing restriction.  After passing ZEEKK the FMC immediately showed us 5000 ft. high for next crossing restriction.  I selected full speed brakes; disconnected the autopilot and nosed over to meet next restriction which we barely made. We couldn't get a word in due to radio saturation.  We wondered why this had happened and thought it was due to multiple arrival assignments with the last one being dropped on us at the last minute while already descending.  In retrospect; I realize what happened. We were descending and approaching ZEEKK on the GESNR arrival when changed once again to the ZEEKK arrival at the last minute. We immediately selected direct ZEEKK in the FMC and loaded the ZEEKK arrival.  This locked the FMC on the crossing restriction for ZEEKK on the GESNR arrival which is different than the ZEEKK restriction on the ZEEKK arrival.  That's why the FMC showed on profile up to ZEEKK.  As a result; we crossed ZEEKK at the GESNR restriction instead of the ZEEKK arrival restriction which is different. The Controller didn't say anything as we were leading the pack and he just wanted us to go fast.  At that point we still hadn't figured out why this happened. The rest of the arrival was uneventful.




Synopsis: A319 Captain reported being high at intersection on arrival into IAH.