B747-400 captain established an autocratic, and dictatorial cockpit atmosphere.

Attributes
ACN	510226
Time
Date	200104
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time type : 2580
ASRS Report	510226
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After being one of the relief pilots and observing how captain conducted himself, I have reached the conclusion that captain jeopardized the safety of his aircraft, passenger, and crew. This began when captain insisted on taking first break on the all-nighter to syd and the second break on the return all-nighter to sfo. This decision has 2 major problems: 1) it puts the crew member with the least rest at the controls during the most critical phases of flight (takeoff and landing). 2) it forces another into flying back-to-back all-nighters with improper rest. During the layover, captain's departure phase was dotted with moments of confusion and departures from SOP. His poor performance on an IFR/ILS approach into syd was marked by being from 2 dots high to 1 DOT low on the ILS final and a short landing on the 1000 ft mark on runway 16R. His decision also forced another into the position of having 3 sleepless nights so captain would not have to fly one all-nighter. Captain runs a dictatorial cockpit and his decisions jeopardize flight safety.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 CAPT ESTABLISHED AN AUTOCRATIC, AND DICTATORIAL COCKPIT ATMOSPHERE.

Narrative: AFTER BEING ONE OF THE RELIEF PLTS AND OBSERVING HOW CAPT CONDUCTED HIMSELF, I HAVE REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT CAPT JEOPARDIZED THE SAFETY OF HIS ACFT, PAX, AND CREW. THIS BEGAN WHEN CAPT INSISTED ON TAKING FIRST BREAK ON THE ALL-NIGHTER TO SYD AND THE SECOND BREAK ON THE RETURN ALL-NIGHTER TO SFO. THIS DECISION HAS 2 MAJOR PROBS: 1) IT PUTS THE CREW MEMBER WITH THE LEAST REST AT THE CTLS DURING THE MOST CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT (TKOF AND LNDG). 2) IT FORCES ANOTHER INTO FLYING BACK-TO-BACK ALL-NIGHTERS WITH IMPROPER REST. DURING THE LAYOVER, CAPT'S DEP PHASE WAS DOTTED WITH MOMENTS OF CONFUSION AND DEPARTURES FROM SOP. HIS POOR PERFORMANCE ON AN IFR/ILS APCH INTO SYD WAS MARKED BY BEING FROM 2 DOTS HIGH TO 1 DOT LOW ON THE ILS FINAL AND A SHORT LNDG ON THE 1000 FT MARK ON RWY 16R. HIS DECISION ALSO FORCED ANOTHER INTO THE POS OF HAVING 3 SLEEPLESS NIGHTS SO CAPT WOULD NOT HAVE TO FLY ONE ALL-NIGHTER. CAPT RUNS A DICTATORIAL COCKPIT AND HIS DECISIONS JEOPARDIZE FLT SAFETY.

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.