I had a strange flight yesterday... I must admit that I did a lot of hand-flying and deviating from the route, and in the end, though I wasn't far from the magenta line and the vertical profile, CRZ mode was active all the time (I passed TOD in HDG select mode) and the systems somehow lost all approach reference data (no Vref etc.). I managed the LEPA ILS 06 by hand (who wouldn't), but now I wonder if the active FMS mode could be forced to another somehow, like if you press "DES NOW" or so in a 737NG... Looks like the MD-11 doesn't like too much "flexibility" during the flight :(

There is an early decent option. Just dial in a lower altitude and use the v/s on glareshield to decent at 1000fpm. Once below initial crz by about 700 ft push profile again. It kinda like a decent now. It's in the fmc manual for the plane.Sean