Narrative:

Captain was flying with the automatic flight system (afs) hooked up. Approach control frequency was very congested and we did 1 turn in the holding pattern at CCC. Captain deviated slightly over and around some small buildups while we were being vectored for the approach. Captain likes to fly fast and kept the speed up even after we were given descent to 2000 ft at about 13 mi from the airport. We then got a speed reduction to 210 KTS from approach control and they called out our traffic which was 12 O'clock low and 3 mi. The captain rolled the speed dial back to 210 KTS, but in a descent the automatic flight system does not do a good job of slowing in timely manner. He should have used speed brakes and even altitude hold in that situation to immediately slow. The 757 in front of us slowed and approach control said that they would have to take us out and gave us a 'tight left turn to 150 degrees.' approach control then said that if we could accept a visual approach that we could continue. The captain said yes and he started a turn back to final. Approach control instructed us to contact the tower. We appeared to be about 7 mi from the runway. The captain then realized that we were too closed to the 757 to safety land behind him. He started a turn back to 150 degrees while I attempted for over 30 seconds to call approach control. We both thought the previous take us out meant a 360 degree turn to the left and he continued the turn past 150 degrees to the left. Approach control finally called us and asked what we were doing and called out traffic at 12 O'clock, same altitude, 1 1/2 mi. We had the traffic in sight the entire time and approach control gave vectors for a visual approach to runway 22L. I believe a number of things contributed to this incident. The primary cause was that approach control was saturated, they had too many airplanes on the frequency and too many airplanes in their airspace. Secondary causes were the buildups that captain deviated around and over slowed our rate of descent. The captain's faith in the automatic flight system which caused a failure to slow down immediately when given the speed reduction, which is partly a fault of the automatic flight system. Finally the captain's nature of always flying fast for as long as possible helped to cause this incident. Take away any one of the above and it probably would not have happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT DOES NOT SLOW AS INSTRUCTED, GETS TOO CLOSE IN TRAIL. STARTS TURN FOR SPACING. ATC DISTURBED.

Narrative: CAPT WAS FLYING WITH THE AUTO FLT SYS (AFS) HOOKED UP. APCH CTL FREQ WAS VERY CONGESTED AND WE DID 1 TURN IN THE HOLDING PATTERN AT CCC. CAPT DEVIATED SLIGHTLY OVER AND AROUND SOME SMALL BUILDUPS WHILE WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE APCH. CAPT LIKES TO FLY FAST AND KEPT THE SPD UP EVEN AFTER WE WERE GIVEN DSCNT TO 2000 FT AT ABOUT 13 MI FROM THE ARPT. WE THEN GOT A SPD REDUCTION TO 210 KTS FROM APCH CTL AND THEY CALLED OUT OUR TFC WHICH WAS 12 O'CLOCK LOW AND 3 MI. THE CAPT ROLLED THE SPD DIAL BACK TO 210 KTS, BUT IN A DSCNT THE AUTO FLT SYS DOES NOT DO A GOOD JOB OF SLOWING IN TIMELY MANNER. HE SHOULD HAVE USED SPD BRAKES AND EVEN ALT HOLD IN THAT SIT TO IMMEDIATELY SLOW. THE 757 IN FRONT OF US SLOWED AND APCH CTL SAID THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE US OUT AND GAVE US A 'TIGHT L TURN TO 150 DEGS.' APCH CTL THEN SAID THAT IF WE COULD ACCEPT A VISUAL APCH THAT WE COULD CONTINUE. THE CAPT SAID YES AND HE STARTED A TURN BACK TO FINAL. APCH CTL INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT THE TWR. WE APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 7 MI FROM THE RWY. THE CAPT THEN REALIZED THAT WE WERE TOO CLOSED TO THE 757 TO SAFETY LAND BEHIND HIM. HE STARTED A TURN BACK TO 150 DEGS WHILE I ATTEMPTED FOR OVER 30 SECONDS TO CALL APCH CTL. WE BOTH THOUGHT THE PREVIOUS TAKE US OUT MEANT A 360 DEG TURN TO THE L AND HE CONTINUED THE TURN PAST 150 DEGS TO THE L. APCH CTL FINALLY CALLED US AND ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING AND CALLED OUT TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK, SAME ALT, 1 1/2 MI. WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT THE ENTIRE TIME AND APCH CTL GAVE VECTORS FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 22L. I BELIEVE A NUMBER OF THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. THE PRIMARY CAUSE WAS THAT APCH CTL WAS SATURATED, THEY HAD TOO MANY AIRPLANES ON THE FREQ AND TOO MANY AIRPLANES IN THEIR AIRSPACE. SECONDARY CAUSES WERE THE BUILDUPS THAT CAPT DEVIATED AROUND AND OVER SLOWED OUR RATE OF DSCNT. THE CAPT'S FAITH IN THE AUTO FLT SYS WHICH CAUSED A FAILURE TO SLOW DOWN IMMEDIATELY WHEN GIVEN THE SPD REDUCTION, WHICH IS PARTLY A FAULT OF THE AUTO FLT SYS. FINALLY THE CAPT'S NATURE OF ALWAYS FLYING FAST FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE HELPED TO CAUSE THIS INCIDENT. TAKE AWAY ANY ONE OF THE ABOVE AND IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

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.