Air carrier flight crew uses slow descent technique to protest off course vector and altitude change...

Attributes
ACN	159440
Time
Date	199010
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 28000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	159440
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After a delay vector en route ZDV asked us to descend to FL310 from FL350. We were en route from tul-slc. The captain was flying and upset at the descent clearance. He got on the microphone and requested FL350 again after traffic descent. Center said he would be on request. Captain then began a slower than normal descent. Next came another vector off course and another terse exchange between him and center. The captain kept the non standard descent going. About 5 mins later we got another descent clearance to a lower altitude and another vector off course, followed by another terse conversation between the 2. At this point I became a passenger and told the captain he was in a no win situation. It didn't help. I don't know if he realized he caused more of his own problems by a slow rate of descent or not. When I said the same he chose to ignore me. It was war. I'm aware that this could come back to haunt me as a crew member by FAA action, even though he took it upon himself to win a no win situation. My reaction is to say to ATC to cross certain areas in such and such a time or within a specified fix or DME so as not to put other crew members in the middle of this childish behavior.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW USES SLOW DESCENT TECHNIQUE TO PROTEST OFF COURSE VECTOR AND ALT CHANGE.

Narrative: AFTER A DELAY VECTOR ENRTE ZDV ASKED US TO DSND TO FL310 FROM FL350. WE WERE ENRTE FROM TUL-SLC. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND UPSET AT THE DSNT CLRNC. HE GOT ON THE MIC AND REQUESTED FL350 AGAIN AFTER TFC DSNT. CENTER SAID HE WOULD BE ON REQUEST. CAPT THEN BEGAN A SLOWER THAN NORMAL DSNT. NEXT CAME ANOTHER VECTOR OFF COURSE AND ANOTHER TERSE EXCHANGE BTWN HIM AND CENTER. THE CAPT KEPT THE NON STANDARD DSNT GOING. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER WE GOT ANOTHER DSNT CLRNC TO A LOWER ALT AND ANOTHER VECTOR OFF COURSE, FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER TERSE CONVERSATION BTWN THE 2. AT THIS POINT I BECAME A PAX AND TOLD THE CAPT HE WAS IN A NO WIN SITUATION. IT DIDN'T HELP. I DON'T KNOW IF HE REALIZED HE CAUSED MORE OF HIS OWN PROBS BY A SLOW RATE OF DSNT OR NOT. WHEN I SAID THE SAME HE CHOSE TO IGNORE ME. IT WAS WAR. I'M AWARE THAT THIS COULD COME BACK TO HAUNT ME AS A CREW MEMBER BY FAA ACTION, EVEN THOUGH HE TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF TO WIN A NO WIN SITUATION. MY REACTION IS TO SAY TO ATC TO CROSS CERTAIN AREAS IN SUCH AND SUCH A TIME OR WITHIN A SPECIFIED FIX OR DME SO AS NOT TO PUT OTHER CREW MEMBERS IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS CHILDISH BEHAVIOR.

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.