Narrative:

En route from atl to cmh. Given late handoff to columbus approach from center. Center had issued a vector for traffic. Upon contact columbus approach issued crossing restriction of 11,000' MSL 40 NM south of appleton VORTAC. He aircraft was approximately 56 NM southwest of appleton at 19,000 MSL at 300 KIAS. The crossing restriction included an airspeed restriction of 250 KIAS at 40 NM south of appleton. Captain attempted to program the FMS to comply with restriction but due to his inexperience with the aircraft FMS (2 months total on aircraft) and the fact that the aircraft was on a vector that had taken it off the FMS LNAV course. The captain could not properly program the FMS to cause the aircraft to leave altitude. Aircraft was taken out of VNAV mode and flown via vertical speed mode by first officer to make altitude restriction. Captain informed columbus approach that the aircraft would be unable to comply with speed restriction due to late crossing restriction issuance. Columbus approach responded by saying that they needed the altitude due to crossing traffic but didn't clearly indicate whether or not the speed restriction had been lifted. Aircraft was above descent profile for remainder of vectoring for ILS 10R approach due to speed required to make crossing restriction. Compounding the problem was loss of communication with approach due to a stuck microphone on frequency. Captain switched to columbus tower and received approach and landing clearance. Several s-turns were required to achieve stabilized approach by 1000' AGL. Multiple factors of unfamiliarity with FMS limitations, late crossing restriction by approach and fixation on FMS rather than using DME and common sense resulted in a hurried confusing situation. Better FMS training with emphasis on 'gotchas' in the system is badly needed. Supplemental information from acn 116865: while being vectored for ILS 10R approach at cmh another aircraft on the columbus approach frequency experienced a stuck microphone. Communications were interrupted and the captain (PNF) contacted tower for approach and landing clearance. While listening to tapes of an apollo space flight I noticed a 'beep tone' that seemed to be transmitted when the transmission from either the space craft or the mission controllers was ended. If this is the case, a 'beep tone' (at a low and tolerable volume) that is transmitted when a microphone is unkeyed would alert all on the frequency that the transmission has ended. Perhaps this would reduce the occurrence of simultaneous xmissions and the resultant communication blockage. Also, the absence of this tone when unkeying the microphone would serve as a warning to the person transmitting that his microphone might still be open and 'hot'.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARR ACR ACFT HAS A PROBLEM ADHERING TO APCH CTL CLRNC FOR DESCENT AND AIRSPEED RESTRICTIONS.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM ATL TO CMH. GIVEN LATE HANDOFF TO COLUMBUS APCH FROM CENTER. CENTER HAD ISSUED A VECTOR FOR TFC. UPON CONTACT COLUMBUS APCH ISSUED XING RESTRICTION OF 11,000' MSL 40 NM S OF APPLETON VORTAC. HE ACFT WAS APPROX 56 NM SW OF APPLETON AT 19,000 MSL AT 300 KIAS. THE XING RESTRICTION INCLUDED AN AIRSPEED RESTRICTION OF 250 KIAS AT 40 NM S OF APPLETON. CAPT ATTEMPTED TO PROGRAM THE FMS TO COMPLY WITH RESTRICTION BUT DUE TO HIS INEXPERIENCE WITH THE ACFT FMS (2 MONTHS TOTAL ON ACFT) AND THE FACT THAT THE ACFT WAS ON A VECTOR THAT HAD TAKEN IT OFF THE FMS LNAV COURSE. THE CAPT COULD NOT PROPERLY PROGRAM THE FMS TO CAUSE THE ACFT TO LEAVE ALT. ACFT WAS TAKEN OUT OF VNAV MODE AND FLOWN VIA VERTICAL SPEED MODE BY F/O TO MAKE ALT RESTRICTION. CAPT INFORMED COLUMBUS APCH THAT THE ACFT WOULD BE UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH SPEED RESTRICTION DUE TO LATE XING RESTRICTION ISSUANCE. COLUMBUS APCH RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT THEY NEEDED THE ALT DUE TO XING TFC BUT DIDN'T CLEARLY INDICATE WHETHER OR NOT THE SPEED RESTRICTION HAD BEEN LIFTED. ACFT WAS ABOVE DSCNT PROFILE FOR REMAINDER OF VECTORING FOR ILS 10R APCH DUE TO SPEED REQUIRED TO MAKE XING RESTRICTION. COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM WAS LOSS OF COM WITH APCH DUE TO A STUCK MIKE ON FREQ. CAPT SWITCHED TO COLUMBUS TWR AND RECEIVED APCH AND LNDG CLRNC. SEVERAL S-TURNS WERE REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE STABILIZED APCH BY 1000' AGL. MULTIPLE FACTORS OF UNFAMILIARITY WITH FMS LIMITATIONS, LATE XING RESTRICTION BY APCH AND FIXATION ON FMS RATHER THAN USING DME AND COMMON SENSE RESULTED IN A HURRIED CONFUSING SITUATION. BETTER FMS TRAINING WITH EMPHASIS ON 'GOTCHAS' IN THE SYSTEM IS BADLY NEEDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 116865: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR ILS 10R APCH AT CMH ANOTHER ACFT ON THE COLUMBUS APCH FREQ EXPERIENCED A STUCK MICROPHONE. COMS WERE INTERRUPTED AND THE CAPT (PNF) CONTACTED TWR FOR APCH AND LNDG CLRNC. WHILE LISTENING TO TAPES OF AN APOLLO SPACE FLIGHT I NOTICED A 'BEEP TONE' THAT SEEMED TO BE TRANSMITTED WHEN THE XMISSION FROM EITHER THE SPACE CRAFT OR THE MISSION CTLRS WAS ENDED. IF THIS IS THE CASE, A 'BEEP TONE' (AT A LOW AND TOLERABLE VOLUME) THAT IS TRANSMITTED WHEN A MICROPHONE IS UNKEYED WOULD ALERT ALL ON THE FREQ THAT THE XMISSION HAS ENDED. PERHAPS THIS WOULD REDUCE THE OCCURRENCE OF SIMULTANEOUS XMISSIONS AND THE RESULTANT COM BLOCKAGE. ALSO, THE ABSENCE OF THIS TONE WHEN UNKEYING THE MICROPHONE WOULD SERVE AS A WARNING TO THE PERSON TRANSMITTING THAT HIS MICROPHONE MIGHT STILL BE OPEN AND 'HOT'.

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.