A319 crew had aircraft speed slow to 'alpha floor' protection speed at FL350.

Attributes
ACN	537199
Time
Date	200202
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : ekr.vor
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	537199
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	537208
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On leveloff at cruise altitude FL350, airspeed slowed to 211 KTS, green DOT. First officer (PNF) noted speed reduction and advised captain (PF). Aircraft was immediately returned to normal planned cruise mach .80. Attribute initially unnoticed speed reduction to captain distraction with FMGC routing approaching level and confusion with prior boeing glass during high workload. First officer pointed out arrival route discrepancy due to different landing direction as aircraft was in last portion of final cruise climb. Captain attention diverted to FMGC during leveloff. Aircraft was cruise climbing in selected speed at .80 mach. Captain monitored leveloff altitude, but did not observe speed bug reduction to green DOT due to attention diverted to FMGC routing. Routing issue was solved with change of runway. Performance page cruise airspeed had apparently been inadvertently changed after the initial FMGC information had been checked by both pilots. It appears the initial climb speed may have been inadvertently entered on the cruise page at some point. Captain planned to level in selected speed of .80 mach. No ATC altitude or routing deviation occurred. Autoplt and autothrottles on during climb and leveloff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CREW HAD ACFT SPD SLOW TO 'ALPHA FLOOR' PROTECTION SPD AT FL350.

Narrative: ON LEVELOFF AT CRUISE ALT FL350, AIRSPD SLOWED TO 211 KTS, GREEN DOT. FO (PNF) NOTED SPD REDUCTION AND ADVISED CAPT (PF). ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO NORMAL PLANNED CRUISE MACH .80. ATTRIBUTE INITIALLY UNNOTICED SPD REDUCTION TO CAPT DISTR WITH FMGC ROUTING APCHING LEVEL AND CONFUSION WITH PRIOR BOEING GLASS DURING HIGH WORKLOAD. FO POINTED OUT ARR RTE DISCREPANCY DUE TO DIFFERENT LNDG DIRECTION AS ACFT WAS IN LAST PORTION OF FINAL CRUISE CLB. CAPT ATTN DIVERTED TO FMGC DURING LEVELOFF. ACFT WAS CRUISE CLBING IN SELECTED SPD AT .80 MACH. CAPT MONITORED LEVELOFF ALT, BUT DID NOT OBSERVE SPD BUG REDUCTION TO GREEN DOT DUE TO ATTN DIVERTED TO FMGC ROUTING. ROUTING ISSUE WAS SOLVED WITH CHANGE OF RWY. PERFORMANCE PAGE CRUISE AIRSPD HAD APPARENTLY BEEN INADVERTENTLY CHANGED AFTER THE INITIAL FMGC INFO HAD BEEN CHKED BY BOTH PLTS. IT APPEARS THE INITIAL CLB SPD MAY HAVE BEEN INADVERTENTLY ENTERED ON THE CRUISE PAGE AT SOME POINT. CAPT PLANNED TO LEVEL IN SELECTED SPD OF .80 MACH. NO ATC ALT OR ROUTING DEV OCCURRED. AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES ON DURING CLB AND LEVELOFF.

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.