Narrative:

I flew a 4-DAY trip with a captain from oct/wed/89 through oct/sat/89. We took turns flying all during the trip. Almost every leg that he flew he would always exceed 250 KT below 10,000'. At times the speed exceeded 350 KTS. I expressed my discomfort with this, giving reasons of both safety and possible FAA violation. He stated that this was a practice that he had been doing for a long time and had never had any problem. He is a good pilot, and I never thought he was out of control with the airplane. My main concern was approaching a slow moving aircraft or a FAA violation against me although I wasn't flying. The only other thing I think I could have done was to refuse to fly with him. But I think I would have a hard time justifying that strong of an action. I lack the skills required to tactfully get a captain to change their ways. We are being told that a captain is the captain! I agree that the captain should be in complete control but, need some way to teach capts to receive input from crew without making it an uncomfortable working environment. I plan to read on ways to help me communicate more with the captain and allow my crew to talk to me when I upgrade to captain. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter did not exhibit any animosity towards the PIC in this set of flts. He did state that there is a lot of peer pressure to accept the captain's decisions on things like light frost on the wings when the captain thinks it is ok to go without deicing. He further stated that there is no company effort to brainwash the pilots into not using the crew concept and that there is a professional standards committee with this airline, which was not specified. The reporter cites fear of being violated for the speed deviations and will send in more reports if this occurs again. He said that most capts on this airline are great and do accept first officer inputs. First officer intends to approach the professional standards committee with problem in future as well as sending in another report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER COMPLAINT OF PIC EXCEEDING 250 KNOTS WHEN UNDER 10,000' MSL.

Narrative: I FLEW A 4-DAY TRIP WITH A CAPT FROM OCT/WED/89 THROUGH OCT/SAT/89. WE TOOK TURNS FLYING ALL DURING THE TRIP. ALMOST EVERY LEG THAT HE FLEW HE WOULD ALWAYS EXCEED 250 KT BELOW 10,000'. AT TIMES THE SPEED EXCEEDED 350 KTS. I EXPRESSED MY DISCOMFORT WITH THIS, GIVING REASONS OF BOTH SAFETY AND POSSIBLE FAA VIOLATION. HE STATED THAT THIS WAS A PRACTICE THAT HE HAD BEEN DOING FOR A LONG TIME AND HAD NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEM. HE IS A GOOD PLT, AND I NEVER THOUGHT HE WAS OUT OF CONTROL WITH THE AIRPLANE. MY MAIN CONCERN WAS APCHING A SLOW MOVING ACFT OR A FAA VIOLATION AGAINST ME ALTHOUGH I WASN'T FLYING. THE ONLY OTHER THING I THINK I COULD HAVE DONE WAS TO REFUSE TO FLY WITH HIM. BUT I THINK I WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME JUSTIFYING THAT STRONG OF AN ACTION. I LACK THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO TACTFULLY GET A CAPT TO CHANGE THEIR WAYS. WE ARE BEING TOLD THAT A CAPT IS THE CAPT! I AGREE THAT THE CAPT SHOULD BE IN COMPLETE CONTROL BUT, NEED SOME WAY TO TEACH CAPTS TO RECEIVE INPUT FROM CREW WITHOUT MAKING IT AN UNCOMFORTABLE WORKING ENVIRONMENT. I PLAN TO READ ON WAYS TO HELP ME COMMUNICATE MORE WITH THE CAPT AND ALLOW MY CREW TO TALK TO ME WHEN I UPGRADE TO CAPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY ANIMOSITY TOWARDS THE PIC IN THIS SET OF FLTS. HE DID STATE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF PEER PRESSURE TO ACCEPT THE CAPT'S DECISIONS ON THINGS LIKE LIGHT FROST ON THE WINGS WHEN THE CAPT THINKS IT IS OK TO GO WITHOUT DEICING. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THERE IS NO COMPANY EFFORT TO BRAINWASH THE PLTS INTO NOT USING THE CREW CONCEPT AND THAT THERE IS A PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE WITH THIS AIRLINE, WHICH WAS NOT SPECIFIED. THE REPORTER CITES FEAR OF BEING VIOLATED FOR THE SPEED DEVIATIONS AND WILL SEND IN MORE REPORTS IF THIS OCCURS AGAIN. HE SAID THAT MOST CAPTS ON THIS AIRLINE ARE GREAT AND DO ACCEPT FO INPUTS. FO INTENDS TO APPROACH THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE WITH PROBLEM IN FUTURE AS WELL AS SENDING IN ANOTHER REPORT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.