Reporter submitted survey on aircraft descent practices as observed by a controller.

Attributes
ACN	128977
Time
Date	198911
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zab
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 33000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab artcc : zme
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 17
ASRS Report	128977
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

The enclosed study, 'descent procedures on 1 airline,' contains the essence of this safety report. I wish to add just a few comments. The pilot's failure to initiate dscnts in a timely manner and to achieve optimum dscnts is a problem which is not confined to 1 airline. When the pilots want to go down, they go down rapidly. When they don't want to go down, they don't go down rapidly. Controllers expect and need aircraft to descend at the same rate the pilot would use were he allowed to descend at the place of his choosing. The airman's information manual should be amended to make this point more explicitly. A 1-LINE insertion in the aim to state, 'the optimum rate of descent expected of a turbo-propeller, turbo-jet or turbo-fan aircraft, is the same rate the pilots would use were they allowed to descend at the time and place of their choice,' would clarify the pilot's responsibility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER SUBMITTED SURVEY ON ACFT DESCENT PRACTICES AS OBSERVED BY A CTLR.

Narrative: THE ENCLOSED STUDY, 'DSCNT PROCS ON 1 AIRLINE,' CONTAINS THE ESSENCE OF THIS SAFETY RPT. I WISH TO ADD JUST A FEW COMMENTS. THE PLT'S FAILURE TO INITIATE DSCNTS IN A TIMELY MANNER AND TO ACHIEVE OPTIMUM DSCNTS IS A PROB WHICH IS NOT CONFINED TO 1 AIRLINE. WHEN THE PLTS WANT TO GO DOWN, THEY GO DOWN RAPIDLY. WHEN THEY DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN, THEY DON'T GO DOWN RAPIDLY. CTLRS EXPECT AND NEED ACFT TO DSND AT THE SAME RATE THE PLT WOULD USE WERE HE ALLOWED TO DSND AT THE PLACE OF HIS CHOOSING. THE AIRMAN'S INFO MANUAL SHOULD BE AMENDED TO MAKE THIS POINT MORE EXPLICITLY. A 1-LINE INSERTION IN THE AIM TO STATE, 'THE OPTIMUM RATE OF DSCNT EXPECTED OF A TURBO-PROP, TURBO-JET OR TURBO-FAN ACFT, IS THE SAME RATE THE PLTS WOULD USE WERE THEY ALLOWED TO DSND AT THE TIME AND PLACE OF THEIR CHOICE,' WOULD CLARIFY THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY.

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.