Narrative:

Aircraft cleared to descend to 3000' MSL on vector to intercept ILS 31R at jfk. Captain turned inbound on ILS course and continued descent. As aircraft passed 3000 ft descending first officer questioned captain on descent. Captain rebuffed first officer and said, 'I'm cleared for the approach and this is my normal bracketing, ok!' captain's tone was sarcastic and carried a demeaning tone. As aircraft descended through 2500' ATC cleared aircraft to descend to 2000' and cleared us for the approach. Controller pointed out the altitude deviation and stated we had not been cleared before below 3000'. After landing the captain lambasted the crew for allowing him to descend, and seemed to summarily discharge any blame for himself. While I was unsure of the exact cleared altitude, I did not intervene because of the way the captain had scolded the first officer for questioning the descent. A company check engineer was on board administering an annual line check to me. He made no input on the matter either during or after the deviation. Human performance factors: a textbook case of an egotistical prima donna captain who had, for 3 days (2 legs), criticized, demeaned and critiqued virtually every action the first officer (and I) had made. His comments and remarks were sarcastic, critical, non-constructive and self serving. I had flown with the captain before and had attempted to contact the first officer before the flight to pass on my previous experience. I was unable to contact the first officer. As an indication of the captain's huge ego, he spent extended periods on each trip in the cabin, apparently attempting to impress the passenger. This became most apparently when, contrary to far's, he brought 2 passenger into the cockpit in flight. The female passenger had a video camcorder and taped for 1-2 mins and then left. He did this with out notice and knowing it was contrary to regulation. After the passenger left he said flippantly, 'I'll turn myself in when we got home.' I was shocked by his action. In summary, he treated the first officer and me as incompetent idiots not worthy of serving such a noble captain as himself--an opinion not shared by my check engineer, since he rated my performance as superior. This captain needs an injection of cockpit resource management before he causes a serious deviation or accident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A REPORTED CONCERN OVER AN ACR PIC'S ATTITUDE, HIS COCKPIT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REST OF THE CREW.

Narrative: ACFT CLRED TO DSND TO 3000' MSL ON VECTOR TO INTERCEPT ILS 31R AT JFK. CAPT TURNED INBND ON ILS COURSE AND CONTINUED DSNT. AS ACFT PASSED 3000 FT DSNDING FO QUESTIONED CAPT ON DSNT. CAPT REBUFFED FO AND SAID, 'I'M CLRED FOR THE APCH AND THIS IS MY NORMAL BRACKETING, OK!' CAPT'S TONE WAS SARCASTIC AND CARRIED A DEMEANING TONE. AS ACFT DSNDED THROUGH 2500' ATC CLRED ACFT TO DSND TO 2000' AND CLRED US FOR THE APCH. CTLR POINTED OUT THE ALT DEVIATION AND STATED WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED BEFORE BELOW 3000'. AFTER LNDG THE CAPT LAMBASTED THE CREW FOR ALLOWING HIM TO DSND, AND SEEMED TO SUMMARILY DISCHARGE ANY BLAME FOR HIMSELF. WHILE I WAS UNSURE OF THE EXACT CLRED ALT, I DID NOT INTERVENE BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE CAPT HAD SCOLDED THE FO FOR QUESTIONING THE DSNT. A COMPANY CHK ENGINEER WAS ON BOARD ADMINISTERING AN ANNUAL LINE CHK TO ME. HE MADE NO INPUT ON THE MATTER EITHER DURING OR AFTER THE DEVIATION. HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTORS: A TEXTBOOK CASE OF AN EGOTISTICAL PRIMA DONNA CAPT WHO HAD, FOR 3 DAYS (2 LEGS), CRITICIZED, DEMEANED AND CRITIQUED VIRTUALLY EVERY ACTION THE FO (AND I) HAD MADE. HIS COMMENTS AND REMARKS WERE SARCASTIC, CRITICAL, NON-CONSTRUCTIVE AND SELF SERVING. I HAD FLOWN WITH THE CAPT BEFORE AND HAD ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE FO BEFORE THE FLT TO PASS ON MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THE FO. AS AN INDICATION OF THE CAPT'S HUGE EGO, HE SPENT EXTENDED PERIODS ON EACH TRIP IN THE CABIN, APPARENTLY ATTEMPTING TO IMPRESS THE PAX. THIS BECAME MOST APPARENTLY WHEN, CONTRARY TO FAR'S, HE BROUGHT 2 PAX INTO THE COCKPIT IN FLT. THE FEMALE PAX HAD A VIDEO CAMCORDER AND TAPED FOR 1-2 MINS AND THEN LEFT. HE DID THIS WITH OUT NOTICE AND KNOWING IT WAS CONTRARY TO REG. AFTER THE PAX LEFT HE SAID FLIPPANTLY, 'I'LL TURN MYSELF IN WHEN WE GOT HOME.' I WAS SHOCKED BY HIS ACTION. IN SUMMARY, HE TREATED THE FO AND ME AS INCOMPETENT IDIOTS NOT WORTHY OF SERVING SUCH A NOBLE CAPT AS HIMSELF--AN OPINION NOT SHARED BY MY CHK ENGINEER, SINCE HE RATED MY PERFORMANCE AS SUPERIOR. THIS CAPT NEEDS AN INJECTION OF COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT BEFORE HE CAUSES A SERIOUS DEVIATION OR ACCIDENT.

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.