Narrative:

Air carrier X cleared to descend to 10000 ft, expect to cross peppr at 9000 ft and maintain 310 KTS or greater when able. The captain slowed to 250 KTS about 16.8 mi south of peppr. At 5-6 mi south a new controller (sounded like a supervisor) cut in and asked if we had slowed. I knew what the problem was, and tried to cover for it by answering 'yes, we've slowed in anticipation of crossing peppr at 9000 ft.' he reminded us, tersely, of our 310 KT speed assignment and then we were handed off to approach. After landing, ground gave us a phone number to call center on. The captain called (I assume) and I don't know what was said. I considered pointing out that we had been assigned 310 KTS when we first slowed, but decided not to for a couple reasons. 1) I have observed a lot of nonstandard and inconsistent compliance with not only clrncs, but also our sopa, smac procedures with this particular captain. I'm not sure why or how his thought processes are working. He gets angry defensive and paranoid when I point out or 'fix' all of the errors makes -- and I do try to be diplomatic! I've opted to only point out errors I think will be critical -- 'killer items' if you will. This weakens the crew concept and safety is affected, but I'm not sure what else I could do. 2) the trip was almost over. I was tired -- both physically and also tired of babysitting this captain, and I just didn't want the hassle of explaining to him that a clearance to maintain 310 KTS means do that until you're issued something different. I know -- lazy and unprofessional. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated the A320 will reduce speed in 2 modes. Vertical descent and VNAV. This was not the case. The captain violated ATC instruction by reducing speed with the speed select indicator. Reporter stated she was frustrated with having to correct the captain for mistakes and would only intervene in a critical situation. Supplemental information from acn 266614: aircraft was an A320 on 'MEINZ6 STAR' arriving msp. Aircraft was assigned 100 MSL and 300 KTS or greater (for spacing into msp). Apparently, airbus aircraft, unless 'overriden,' reduce speed to 250 KTS at 100 MSL 'on their own.' as was the case today, if the pilot 'forgets' to override the automated flight controls to maintain an assigned airspeed, it creates obvious problems for the center controller trying to maintain spacing for approach. This has been a recurrent problem at ZMP. Correction lies in education of pilots and/or procedures/checklist changes for A320's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC UNAUTH SPD REDUCTION.

Narrative: ACR X CLRED TO DSND TO 10000 FT, EXPECT TO CROSS PEPPR AT 9000 FT AND MAINTAIN 310 KTS OR GREATER WHEN ABLE. THE CAPT SLOWED TO 250 KTS ABOUT 16.8 MI S OF PEPPR. AT 5-6 MI S A NEW CTLR (SOUNDED LIKE A SUPVR) CUT IN AND ASKED IF WE HAD SLOWED. I KNEW WHAT THE PROB WAS, AND TRIED TO COVER FOR IT BY ANSWERING 'YES, WE'VE Slowed IN ANTICIPATION OF XING PEPPR AT 9000 FT.' HE REMINDED US, TERSELY, OF OUR 310 KT SPD ASSIGNMENT AND THEN WE WERE HANDED OFF TO APCH. AFTER LNDG, GND GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL CTR ON. THE CAPT CALLED (I ASSUME) AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS SAID. I CONSIDERED POINTING OUT THAT WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED 310 KTS WHEN WE FIRST SLOWED, BUT DECIDED NOT TO FOR A COUPLE REASONS. 1) I HAVE OBSERVED A LOT OF NONSTANDARD AND INCONSISTENT COMPLIANCE WITH NOT ONLY CLRNCS, BUT ALSO OUR SOPA, SMAC PROCS WITH THIS PARTICULAR CAPT. I'M NOT SURE WHY OR HOW HIS THOUGHT PROCESSES ARE WORKING. HE GETS ANGRY DEFENSIVE AND PARANOID WHEN I POINT OUT OR 'FIX' ALL OF THE ERRORS MAKES -- AND I DO TRY TO BE DIPLOMATIC! I'VE OPTED TO ONLY POINT OUT ERRORS I THINK WILL BE CRITICAL -- 'KILLER ITEMS' IF YOU WILL. THIS WEAKENS THE CREW CONCEPT AND SAFETY IS AFFECTED, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE I COULD DO. 2) THE TRIP WAS ALMOST OVER. I WAS TIRED -- BOTH PHYSICALLY AND ALSO TIRED OF BABYSITTING THIS CAPT, AND I JUST DIDN'T WANT THE HASSLE OF EXPLAINING TO HIM THAT A CLRNC TO MAINTAIN 310 KTS MEANS DO THAT UNTIL YOU'RE ISSUED SOMETHING DIFFERENT. I KNOW -- LAZY AND UNPROFESSIONAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THE A320 WILL REDUCE SPD IN 2 MODES. VERTICAL DSCNT AND VNAV. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. THE CAPT VIOLATED ATC INSTRUCTION BY REDUCING SPD WITH THE SPD SELECT INDICATOR. RPTR STATED SHE WAS FRUSTRATED WITH HAVING TO CORRECT THE CAPT FOR MISTAKES AND WOULD ONLY INTERVENE IN A CRITICAL SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 266614: ACFT WAS AN A320 ON 'MEINZ6 STAR' ARRIVING MSP. ACFT WAS ASSIGNED 100 MSL AND 300 KTS OR GREATER (FOR SPACING INTO MSP). APPARENTLY, AIRBUS ACFT, UNLESS 'OVERRIDEN,' REDUCE SPD TO 250 KTS AT 100 MSL 'ON THEIR OWN.' AS WAS THE CASE TODAY, IF THE PLT 'FORGETS' TO OVERRIDE THE AUTOMATED FLT CTLS TO MAINTAIN AN ASSIGNED AIRSPD, IT CREATES OBVIOUS PROBS FOR THE CTR CTLR TRYING TO MAINTAIN SPACING FOR APCH. THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRENT PROB AT ZMP. CORRECTION LIES IN EDUCATION OF PLTS AND/OR PROCS/CHKLIST CHANGES FOR A320'S.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.