<< >> NASA ASRS Report 101782, January 1989

Aircraft exceeded the required 250 KTS below 10000' during descent to sfo. Speed reduced and approach continued.

Attributes
ACN	101782
Time
Date	198901
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak tower : hou
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : sfo
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 37
ASRS Report	101782
Person 2
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Speed infraction due to crew fatigue and limited experience and late night hour. Both crew members have less than 50 hours in large transport, plus just completed a trip, then late night break out for long haul, different time zones, marginal WX. In my opinion a high minimum captain should never be paired with a copilot with minimum or limited experience. This is only inviting disaster. Too many things were not right on this approach. I'm not as concerned about the speed problem as I am about experience level of the crew, coupled with the other conditions. Because of the distrs it could just as easily have been an altitude or course problem. The glass cockpit is an unfamiliar animal to many of us, but never should 2 pilots with low experience levels be assigned together. In this computer age today, it should be simple to red flag the coplts. Just as the capts are high minimum, there should be a copilot high minimum and not be assigned to a high minimum captain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EXCEEDED THE REQUIRED 250 KTS BELOW 10000' DURING DESCENT TO SFO. SPEED REDUCED AND APCH CONTINUED.

Narrative: SPEED INFRACTION DUE TO CREW FATIGUE AND LIMITED EXPERIENCE AND LATE NIGHT HOUR. BOTH CREW MEMBERS HAVE LESS THAN 50 HRS IN LGT, PLUS JUST COMPLETED A TRIP, THEN LATE NIGHT BREAK OUT FOR LONG HAUL, DIFFERENT TIME ZONES, MARGINAL WX. IN MY OPINION A HIGH MINIMUM CAPT SHOULD NEVER BE PAIRED WITH A COPLT WITH MINIMUM OR LIMITED EXPERIENCE. THIS IS ONLY INVITING DISASTER. TOO MANY THINGS WERE NOT RIGHT ON THIS APCH. I'M NOT AS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPD PROB AS I AM ABOUT EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE CREW, COUPLED WITH THE OTHER CONDITIONS. BECAUSE OF THE DISTRS IT COULD JUST AS EASILY HAVE BEEN AN ALT OR COURSE PROB. THE GLASS COCKPIT IS AN UNFAMILIAR ANIMAL TO MANY OF US, BUT NEVER SHOULD 2 PLTS WITH LOW EXPERIENCE LEVELS BE ASSIGNED TOGETHER. IN THIS COMPUTER AGE TODAY, IT SHOULD BE SIMPLE TO RED FLAG THE COPLTS. JUST AS THE CAPTS ARE HIGH MINIMUM, THERE SHOULD BE A COPLT HIGH MINIMUM AND NOT BE ASSIGNED TO A HIGH MINIMUM CAPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.