Narrative:

High mins captain hand flying the aircraft in the approach phase. IMC, heavy traffic due to marginal WX conditions and concentration of frt aircraft inbound to louisville for the next day air sort. I estimate controller handling at least 12- 15 aircraft at the time with speed reductions, vectors, altitude changes and icing conditions to contend with. We were heading 190 degrees and altitude of 7000 ft when vectored left to 090 degrees, descending to 6000 ft, then a subsequent vector for the downwind to 010 degrees since the traffic was landing on runway 19 at the louisville standiford airport. Our captain used about 10-15 degree of flight spoilers to descend the 1000 ft of altitude because of the need to keep engines at 55 percent N1 for the icing conditions -- because of the heavy workload in the turn he descended to 5700 ft after gradually adding power and I felt like he forgot about 30 seconds back up to the assigned altitude of 6000 ft and continued the turn to 010 degrees. ATC's workload was great and no one questioned our 300 ft altitude deviation. I believe that with all of the vectors, coupled with hand flying the aircraft, the added worry to keep engines spooled on the large transport because of the icing conditions were factors that overwhelmed the above mentioned captain into forgetting the fact that partial spoilers were deployed and the need for additional power to maintain airspeed and altitude while on the turn we also got a stick shaker actuation for about 5-10 seconds. I feel that due to the extra maneuvering and time added to the flight; our captain should have kept the autoplt on for the maneuvering phase in the terminal area and secondly due to the small change in assigned altitude, and the fact that it was nowhere near the final approach or landing phase of flight, the use of speed brakes was not justified and added to the confusion in his mind.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO RPTR CRITICIZES CAPT'S TECHNIQUE FLYING IN USE OF SPOILERS IN DSCNT PROC. ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT.

Narrative: HIGH MINS CAPT HAND FLYING THE ACFT IN THE APCH PHASE. IMC, HVY TFC DUE TO MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS AND CONCENTRATION OF FRT ACFT INBOUND TO LOUISVILLE FOR THE NEXT DAY AIR SORT. I ESTIMATE CTLR HANDLING AT LEAST 12- 15 ACFT AT THE TIME WITH SPD REDUCTIONS, VECTORS, ALT CHANGES AND ICING CONDITIONS TO CONTEND WITH. WE WERE HDG 190 DEGS AND ALT OF 7000 FT WHEN VECTORED L TO 090 DEGS, DSNDING TO 6000 FT, THEN A SUBSEQUENT VECTOR FOR THE DOWNWIND TO 010 DEGS SINCE THE TFC WAS LNDG ON RWY 19 AT THE LOUISVILLE STANDIFORD ARPT. OUR CAPT USED ABOUT 10-15 DEG OF FLT SPOILERS TO DSND THE 1000 FT OF ALT BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO KEEP ENGS AT 55 PERCENT N1 FOR THE ICING CONDITIONS -- BECAUSE OF THE HVY WORKLOAD IN THE TURN HE DSNDED TO 5700 FT AFTER GRADUALLY ADDING PWR AND I FELT LIKE HE FORGOT ABOUT 30 SECONDS BACK UP TO THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 6000 FT AND CONTINUED THE TURN TO 010 DEGS. ATC'S WORKLOAD WAS GREAT AND NO ONE QUESTIONED OUR 300 FT ALTDEV. I BELIEVE THAT WITH ALL OF THE VECTORS, COUPLED WITH HAND FLYING THE ACFT, THE ADDED WORRY TO KEEP ENGS SPOOLED ON THE LGT BECAUSE OF THE ICING CONDITIONS WERE FACTORS THAT OVERWHELMED THE ABOVE MENTIONED CAPT INTO FORGETTING THE FACT THAT PARTIAL SPOILERS WERE DEPLOYED AND THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PWR TO MAINTAIN AIRSPD AND ALT WHILE ON THE TURN WE ALSO GOT A STICK SHAKER ACTUATION FOR ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS. I FEEL THAT DUE TO THE EXTRA MANEUVERING AND TIME ADDED TO THE FLT; OUR CAPT SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE AUTOPLT ON FOR THE MANEUVERING PHASE IN THE TERMINAL AREA AND SECONDLY DUE TO THE SMALL CHANGE IN ASSIGNED ALT, AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS NOWHERE NEAR THE FINAL APCH OR LNDG PHASE OF FLT, THE USE OF SPD BRAKES WAS NOT JUSTIFIED AND ADDED TO THE CONFUSION IN HIS MIND.

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.