Date: 201211
Local time of day: 1801-2400
Location: BNA.Airport, TN
Flight conditions: VMC
Aircraft: B737-800
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Descent
Airspace: Class C BNA
ATC / advisory: TRACON BNA
Aircraft component: FMS/FMC
Component problem: Design
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Contributing factors: Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: We were at cruise; cleared direct ATL and; shortly thereafter; direct BNA. It was VMC the whole flight so we anticipated a straight in to BNA. After passing ATL we were in our descent and had leveled off at FL240. Center mentioned he needed us back on the SWFFT RNAV STAR and we were cleared direct SWFFT for the SWFFT ONE North Transition. We loaded the arrival and headed direct to SWFFT. We were trying to determine the North transition which is not mentioned on the plates. That created confusion. I called Center to confirm the waypoints he wanted us to fly; but he was not responsive. We were not cleared to descend 'via' the SWFFT ONE arrival and Center did not have us descend to a lower altitude that would have been consistent with crossing altitudes at SWFFT. Center handed us off to Approach Control who then asked why we were still at FL240. We advised we had not been cleared to descend below FL240. There was a short delay and he cleared us down to 5;000 FT and we then began a descent to land with vectors to get down. We landed uneventfully. The First Officer and I discussed the fact we needed to descend to cross SWFFT but there were no instructions from Center to make that happen.I have not flown this RNAV arrival before and it is not in the company's current safety report data base so maybe it is new. There was precious time spent trying to determine the North Transition as requested by Center. I still cannot determine what the North Transition is. The PF noted a descent was needed and had we been given a timely clearance we would have been able make the altitudes per the arrival. I will be far more proactive in a scenario like this in the future. I was expecting a clearance from either Center or Approach.

Callback: The reporter advised the reason they had failed to request a lower altitude in a timely fashion was because he and the First Officer were distracted trying to find the North 'transition' they were given by the Center. He surmised the Controller may have used the word 'transition' in a generic fashion inasmuch as the 'Ball noted' tracks after ADAAY appear to have no 'ATC approved' descriptive nomenclature depicted on the chart. He agreed the use of the 'Landing North/South' language flight crews are advised will be advised to expect in the notes at the top of the chart would have been more appropriate and would not have distracted them to the same degree. He continued to be distressed that the Approach Controller was not more forthcoming when asked for clarification of their route after ADAAY.



Synopsis: A B737-800 flight crew inbound to Nashville was cleared to fly the SWFFT RNAV STAR; but because they were not 'cleared via' and had not received an 'independent' descent clearance; did not descend to cross SWFFT as charted. Approach Control ultimately provided descent clearance and vectors as necessary.