B737-300 flight crew slow to begin descent to cleared altitude.

Attributes
ACN	435020
Time
Date	199904
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msy.airport
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl single value : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier company other government : faa government other other Other
Function	observation : air carrier inspector oversight : pic
ASRS Report	43500
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight was the first leg of an IOE for the first officer. ATC cleared us to descend from FL200 to FL180. It was a technique to slow from cruise speed to descent speed for an FMS path descent. The first officer was unclr as to what was involved, and requested an explanation. The combination of slow down, FMC recomputation, and explanation resulted in a late/delayed initiation of descent. ATC queried as to our status, and provided a vector and reminded us of our clearance. I think the IOE task distraction me from flying the airplane.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLC SLOW TO BEGIN DSCNT TO CLRED ALT.

Narrative: FLT WAS THE FIRST LEG OF AN IOE FOR THE FO. ATC CLRED US TO DSND FROM FL200 TO FL180. IT WAS A TECHNIQUE TO SLOW FROM CRUISE SPD TO DSCNT SPD FOR AN FMS PATH DSCNT. THE FO WAS UNCLR AS TO WHAT WAS INVOLVED, AND REQUESTED AN EXPLANATION. THE COMBINATION OF SLOW DOWN, FMC RECOMPUTATION, AND EXPLANATION RESULTED IN A LATE/DELAYED INITIATION OF DSCNT. ATC QUERIED AS TO OUR STATUS, AND PROVIDED A VECTOR AND REMINDED US OF OUR CLRNC. I THINK THE IOE TASK DISTR ME FROM FLYING THE AIRPLANE.

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.