Narrative:

En route to new orleans on a scheduled air carrier flight on which the FAA was conducting an en route inspection. The flight was rerted by ZHU onto a victor airway and a descent to 12000 ft was initiated. While leveling at 12000 ft, the flight was handed off to new orleans approach. On initial contact, the flight was cleared to 4000 ft and given a heading of 190 degrees for an approach to runway 10 at msy. While leveling at 12000 ft the autoplt was in IAS hold. The activity of leveling off and at the same time receiving another descent clearance, a heading change, and comments regarding the approach were enough of a distraction for the PF to not change to vertical speed on the autoplt. The descent continued out of 11000 ft as cleared with the autoplt still in IAS hold (280 KTS). Next comes a company required call at 10000 ft which was made by the PF, however, speed was not reduced to 250 KTS. At 8900 ft MSL, the PF realized the error, disconnected the autoplt, and smoothly slowed to 250 KTS. None of the other flight crew members noticed the above normal speed. The remainder of the flight was normal as well as the portions of the flight prior to the airspeed incident. Some factors involved with human performance include pilot fatigue, anxiety (FAA air carrier inspector aboard), and the PIC's unfamiliarity with the route and destination. In regard to fatigue, all 3 crew members, had been flying early morning departures in different time zones with little chance for remaining adequately rested. Other factors include the crew's unwillingness to converse freely in the presence of an FAA inspector. Perhaps more conversation would have been enough of a performance booster to prevent the situation from ever happening. In addition, ATC continues to issue multiple clrncs and frequency changes in a single transmission which can contribute to a chain of events which leads to an incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-200 EXCEEDED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT. NON ADHERENCE TO ATC PROC AIRLINE OP PROC. ALT SPD RULE VIOLATION.

Narrative: ENRTE TO NEW ORLEANS ON A SCHEDULED ACR FLT ON WHICH THE FAA WAS CONDUCTING AN ENRTE INSPECTION. THE FLT WAS RERTED BY ZHU ONTO A VICTOR AIRWAY AND A DSCNT TO 12000 FT WAS INITIATED. WHILE LEVELING AT 12000 FT, THE FLT WAS HANDED OFF TO NEW ORLEANS APCH. ON INITIAL CONTACT, THE FLT WAS CLRED TO 4000 FT AND GIVEN A HDG OF 190 DEGS FOR AN APCH TO RWY 10 AT MSY. WHILE LEVELING AT 12000 FT THE AUTOPLT WAS IN IAS HOLD. THE ACTIVITY OF LEVELING OFF AND AT THE SAME TIME RECEIVING ANOTHER DSCNT CLRNC, A HDG CHANGE, AND COMMENTS REGARDING THE APCH WERE ENOUGH OF A DISTR FOR THE PF TO NOT CHANGE TO VERT SPD ON THE AUTOPLT. THE DSCNT CONTINUED OUT OF 11000 FT AS CLRED WITH THE AUTOPLT STILL IN IAS HOLD (280 KTS). NEXT COMES A COMPANY REQUIRED CALL AT 10000 FT WHICH WAS MADE BY THE PF, HOWEVER, SPD WAS NOT REDUCED TO 250 KTS. AT 8900 FT MSL, THE PF REALIZED THE ERROR, DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT, AND SMOOTHLY SLOWED TO 250 KTS. NONE OF THE OTHER FLC MEMBERS NOTICED THE ABOVE NORMAL SPD. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS NORMAL AS WELL AS THE PORTIONS OF THE FLT PRIOR TO THE AIRSPD INCIDENT. SOME FACTORS INVOLVED WITH HUMAN PERFORMANCE INCLUDE PLT FATIGUE, ANXIETY (FAA ACR INSPECTOR ABOARD), AND THE PIC'S UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE RTE AND DEST. IN REGARD TO FATIGUE, ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS, HAD BEEN FLYING EARLY MORNING DEPS IN DIFFERENT TIME ZONES WITH LITTLE CHANCE FOR REMAINING ADEQUATELY RESTED. OTHER FACTORS INCLUDE THE CREW'S UNWILLINGNESS TO CONVERSE FREELY IN THE PRESENCE OF AN FAA INSPECTOR. PERHAPS MORE CONVERSATION WOULD HAVE BEEN ENOUGH OF A PERFORMANCE BOOSTER TO PREVENT THE SIT FROM EVER HAPPENING. IN ADDITION, ATC CONTINUES TO ISSUE MULTIPLE CLRNCS AND FREQ CHANGES IN A SINGLE XMISSION WHICH CAN CONTRIBUTE TO A CHAIN OF EVENTS WHICH LEADS TO AN INCIDENT.

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.