Narrative:

On my first IOE flight in the EMB145 as first officer from ewr to cincinnati, I was the PF, and the check airman was communicating on the radios. The captain went off the #1 radio with ATC to the #2 radio with company. I was given a new altitude to descend (FL350 to FL330) to and acknowledge the new altitude personally with ATC. While descending, the controller asked if I would be able to meet the restr. Having not heard any restr given, I quickly looked at my high altitude chart for more information. There were no restrs, so I told ATC to 'stand by' while I clarified with the captain what I believed to be our complete compliance with all required altitudes and any crossing restrs. He now was back with #1 radio on ATC and I was filling him in with the ATC directed altitude change, when again the controller asked if we'd meet the restr. The captain said 'stand by' and reviewed all the clearance and chart information and found no restr given. The controller directed us to turn to a new heading and then returned us to our original on course heading within a few seconds. Controller was upset that it had taken us 1 min to communicate back. We never had a conflict with another aircraft, never had a crossing or other restr, and we were at all assigned altitudes when directed. The controller never said that we caused a problem or deviated another aircraft. All controller said was that our delay in answering controller was 'unacceptable.' I believe I should have responded to controller quicker and involved the captain sooner. I should have stated that I was unaware of any restr. As far as I could tell, I responded and complied with every directive controller gave us. Controller did not tell us otherwise. Having been nervous on my first IOE on my first flight, I still should have trusted my ability to communication with ATC without the captain's help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E145 FO WAITS TO ASK CAPT ABOUT ZID CLRNC RESTR INSTEAD OF QUESTIONING ATC, CAUSING VECTORS OFF AND BACK ONTO RTE.

Narrative: ON MY FIRST IOE FLT IN THE EMB145 AS FO FROM EWR TO CINCINNATI, I WAS THE PF, AND THE CHK AIRMAN WAS COMMUNICATING ON THE RADIOS. THE CAPT WENT OFF THE #1 RADIO WITH ATC TO THE #2 RADIO WITH COMPANY. I WAS GIVEN A NEW ALT TO DSND (FL350 TO FL330) TO AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEW ALT PERSONALLY WITH ATC. WHILE DSNDING, THE CTLR ASKED IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO MEET THE RESTR. HAVING NOT HEARD ANY RESTR GIVEN, I QUICKLY LOOKED AT MY HIGH ALT CHART FOR MORE INFO. THERE WERE NO RESTRS, SO I TOLD ATC TO 'STAND BY' WHILE I CLARIFIED WITH THE CAPT WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE OUR COMPLETE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL REQUIRED ALTS AND ANY XING RESTRS. HE NOW WAS BACK WITH #1 RADIO ON ATC AND I WAS FILLING HIM IN WITH THE ATC DIRECTED ALT CHANGE, WHEN AGAIN THE CTLR ASKED IF WE'D MEET THE RESTR. THE CAPT SAID 'STAND BY' AND REVIEWED ALL THE CLRNC AND CHART INFO AND FOUND NO RESTR GIVEN. THE CTLR DIRECTED US TO TURN TO A NEW HDG AND THEN RETURNED US TO OUR ORIGINAL ON COURSE HDG WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. CTLR WAS UPSET THAT IT HAD TAKEN US 1 MIN TO COMMUNICATE BACK. WE NEVER HAD A CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT, NEVER HAD A XING OR OTHER RESTR, AND WE WERE AT ALL ASSIGNED ALTS WHEN DIRECTED. THE CTLR NEVER SAID THAT WE CAUSED A PROB OR DEVIATED ANOTHER ACFT. ALL CTLR SAID WAS THAT OUR DELAY IN ANSWERING CTLR WAS 'UNACCEPTABLE.' I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED TO CTLR QUICKER AND INVOLVED THE CAPT SOONER. I SHOULD HAVE STATED THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY RESTR. AS FAR AS I COULD TELL, I RESPONDED AND COMPLIED WITH EVERY DIRECTIVE CTLR GAVE US. CTLR DID NOT TELL US OTHERWISE. HAVING BEEN NERVOUS ON MY FIRST IOE ON MY FIRST FLT, I STILL SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED MY ABILITY TO COM WITH ATC WITHOUT THE CAPT'S HELP.

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.