Narrative:

Captain flying leg from ind to iad. The previous 2 days of flying with this new 57 year old captain had been very disconcerting from a professionalism standpoint. He had repeatedly been mistuning navcom frequencys, fumbling for things in the cockpit and setting incorrect inbound and outbnd headings. To make things worse he would always say 'ok' when it was brought to his attention and would act like he had just caught the error at the same instant. Most distressing problem was that he always violated the sterile cockpit rule. He never shut up for 2 days! As a result he missed numerous radio calls when I was flying and was easily distracted when he was flying. Given a clearance to cross 45 northwest of aml at 11000' and 250 KTS, he started down somewhat late from 25000', but seemed to go aggressively once beginning the descent and my activities were centered on running the pressurization system manually because of the ad limit on medium large transport. I checked on his progress a few mins later and found that he had slowed down to 260 KTS (normal descent is 280) with a rate of about 1200 FPM down (way too little for this cross). So, I said, 'are you going to make the cross ok?' he said yes, nosed it over and put the speed brakes out, but it was too late by then. We missed the cross by about 1200' and the speed was about 310 KTS. We would have been close but he shallowed out on 4500+ FPM descent rate a little too early. And, as a result, we missed the restriction. There's about 30 yrs difference between our ages, and it makes it very difficult to be any more assertive than a junior copilot toward a captain can be, other than the normal cockpit resource management (clear) procedures allow. The problem, as I see it, is one where the captain is in charge but both the first officer and captain get the violation. There's got to be some way to get some of the penalty aspect off of the copilot unless you're going to allow for him to 'take the airplane' all the time, which certainly is not prudent. There has to be some more culpability on the captain's part, especially one that's old and near retirement, and just doesn't maintain an edge where he seems to care anymore. If you ever advocate eliminating the age 60 rule, do so in the direction of age 55, because these (some) old guys just don't belong in commercial airplanes anymore.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT DEVIATION. FAILED TO MAKE CROSSING ALT IN DESCENT.

Narrative: CAPT FLYING LEG FROM IND TO IAD. THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS OF FLYING WITH THIS NEW 57 YEAR OLD CAPT HAD BEEN VERY DISCONCERTING FROM A PROFESSIONALISM STANDPOINT. HE HAD REPEATEDLY BEEN MISTUNING NAVCOM FREQS, FUMBLING FOR THINGS IN THE COCKPIT AND SETTING INCORRECT INBND AND OUTBND HDGS. TO MAKE THINGS WORSE HE WOULD ALWAYS SAY 'OK' WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO HIS ATTN AND WOULD ACT LIKE HE HAD JUST CAUGHT THE ERROR AT THE SAME INSTANT. MOST DISTRESSING PROB WAS THAT HE ALWAYS VIOLATED THE STERILE COCKPIT RULE. HE NEVER SHUT UP FOR 2 DAYS! AS A RESULT HE MISSED NUMEROUS RADIO CALLS WHEN I WAS FLYING AND WAS EASILY DISTRACTED WHEN HE WAS FLYING. GIVEN A CLRNC TO CROSS 45 NW OF AML AT 11000' AND 250 KTS, HE STARTED DOWN SOMEWHAT LATE FROM 25000', BUT SEEMED TO GO AGGRESSIVELY ONCE BEGINNING THE DSCNT AND MY ACTIVITIES WERE CENTERED ON RUNNING THE PRESSURIZATION SYS MANUALLY BECAUSE OF THE AD LIMIT ON MLG. I CHKED ON HIS PROGRESS A FEW MINS LATER AND FOUND THAT HE HAD SLOWED DOWN TO 260 KTS (NORMAL DSCNT IS 280) WITH A RATE OF ABOUT 1200 FPM DOWN (WAY TOO LITTLE FOR THIS CROSS). SO, I SAID, 'ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE THE CROSS OK?' HE SAID YES, NOSED IT OVER AND PUT THE SPD BRAKES OUT, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE BY THEN. WE MISSED THE CROSS BY ABOUT 1200' AND THE SPD WAS ABOUT 310 KTS. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSE BUT HE SHALLOWED OUT ON 4500+ FPM DSCNT RATE A LITTLE TOO EARLY. AND, AS A RESULT, WE MISSED THE RESTRICTION. THERE'S ABOUT 30 YRS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR AGES, AND IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO BE ANY MORE ASSERTIVE THAN A JUNIOR COPLT TOWARD A CAPT CAN BE, OTHER THAN THE NORMAL COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT (CLR) PROCS ALLOW. THE PROB, AS I SEE IT, IS ONE WHERE THE CAPT IS IN CHARGE BUT BOTH THE F/O AND CAPT GET THE VIOLATION. THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME WAY TO GET SOME OF THE PENALTY ASPECT OFF OF THE COPLT UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO ALLOW FOR HIM TO 'TAKE THE AIRPLANE' ALL THE TIME, WHICH CERTAINLY IS NOT PRUDENT. THERE HAS TO BE SOME MORE CULPABILITY ON THE CAPT'S PART, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT'S OLD AND NEAR RETIREMENT, AND JUST DOESN'T MAINTAIN AN EDGE WHERE HE SEEMS TO CARE ANYMORE. IF YOU EVER ADVOCATE ELIMINATING THE AGE 60 RULE, DO SO IN THE DIRECTION OF AGE 55, BECAUSE THESE (SOME) OLD GUYS JUST DON'T BELONG IN COMMERCIAL AIRPLANES ANYMORE.

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.