Narrative:

Air carrier X was cleared for descent (modesto 2 arrival) and asked to maintain maximum forward speed. Somewhere in the vicinity of groan we were turned to a heading of about 220 degrees and asked to slow to 210 KTS. After some vectoring we were cleared for a quiet bridge approach about 20 or so mi out. When we were turned over to the final controller, he asked us if we had the field in sight. When we said yes, he said 'cleared for a visual approach' (this was for 28R). We had parallel traffic on the left which we didn't see and since this was an FAA special airport with which the first officer was unfamiliar and with which I had little recent experience, I felt a conservative approach would be in order. There had been no instructions to maintain any specific speed until a specific point or 'until advised' and we had been cleared for approach, so speed control was at my option. Having frequently used a procedure in europe of 210 KTS until 12 mi and 160 KTS to the OM, this seemed like a comfortable way to proceed. Somewhere after shoreline, the controller asked us to maintain 180 KTS to the OM, we were doing 160 KTS with full flaps on about a 3 degree descent path. The first officer realizing that 180 KTS was the maximum speed for full flaps said that 180 KTS was too high and asked about using 160 KTS. The controller repeated this speed several times in what seemed to be a challenging manner and demanded 'is that the best you can do?' at this point I answered saying that we could do 180 KTS but that it required raising the flaps, and I pointed out that it would have been helpful to have had this request at the outset. This was meant as a constructive observation, although my voice probably reflected some of the irritation which I felt. Rather than leaving it at that, the controller decided to personalize things, saying such things as he had assumed that we were professionals and that we had been assigned 210 KTS. I tried to point out that cleared for approach without something specifying a speed to a certain point or 'until advised' left us to decide when we would slow down, but he appeared more interested in getting in the last word. At some point he ranted something about having worked sfo for 20 yrs and things were done thus and so. I told him that we hadn't been working there for 20 yrs and therefore weren't that familiar with their expectations, but this didn't seem to satisfy him either. When it comes to speed control, it is my belief that, unless there is a specified time or condition at which any assigned speed is to terminate (e.g., 'until further advised' or 'until 15 DME'), I have the option once I've been cleared for approach to slow when I want to. Supplemental information from acn 227764: controller asked us to maintain 180 KTS, we said we could do 160 KTS for him. Controller became irate, and started abusive verbal exchange with captain. This discussion became personal by controller, and was not in the best interest of operations and safety. We did raise flaps and give him 180 KTS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR X SPD CTL ON VISUAL APCH FLC CTLR UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR.

Narrative: ACR X WAS CLRED FOR DSCNT (MODESTO 2 ARR) AND ASKED TO MAINTAIN MAX FORWARD SPD. SOMEWHERE IN THE VICINITY OF GROAN WE WERE TURNED TO A HDG OF ABOUT 220 DEGS AND ASKED TO SLOW TO 210 KTS. AFTER SOME VECTORING WE WERE CLRED FOR A QUIET BRIDGE APCH ABOUT 20 OR SO MI OUT. WHEN WE WERE TURNED OVER TO THE FINAL CTLR, HE ASKED US IF WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. WHEN WE SAID YES, HE SAID 'CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH' (THIS WAS FOR 28R). WE HAD PARALLEL TFC ON THE L WHICH WE DIDN'T SEE AND SINCE THIS WAS AN FAA SPECIAL ARPT WITH WHICH THE FO WAS UNFAMILIAR AND WITH WHICH I HAD LITTLE RECENT EXPERIENCE, I FELT A CONSERVATIVE APCH WOULD BE IN ORDER. THERE HAD BEEN NO INSTRUCTIONS TO MAINTAIN ANY SPECIFIC SPD UNTIL A SPECIFIC POINT OR 'UNTIL ADVISED' AND WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR APCH, SO SPD CTL WAS AT MY OPTION. HAVING FREQUENTLY USED A PROC IN EUROPE OF 210 KTS UNTIL 12 MI AND 160 KTS TO THE OM, THIS SEEMED LIKE A COMFORTABLE WAY TO PROCEED. SOMEWHERE AFTER SHORELINE, THE CTLR ASKED US TO MAINTAIN 180 KTS TO THE OM, WE WERE DOING 160 KTS WITH FULL FLAPS ON ABOUT A 3 DEG DSCNT PATH. THE FO REALIZING THAT 180 KTS WAS THE MAX SPD FOR FULL FLAPS SAID THAT 180 KTS WAS TOO HIGH AND ASKED ABOUT USING 160 KTS. THE CTLR REPEATED THIS SPD SEVERAL TIMES IN WHAT SEEMED TO BE A CHALLENGING MANNER AND DEMANDED 'IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?' AT THIS POINT I ANSWERED SAYING THAT WE COULD DO 180 KTS BUT THAT IT REQUIRED RAISING THE FLAPS, AND I POINTED OUT THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO HAVE HAD THIS REQUEST AT THE OUTSET. THIS WAS MEANT AS A CONSTRUCTIVE OBSERVATION, ALTHOUGH MY VOICE PROBABLY REFLECTED SOME OF THE IRRITATION WHICH I FELT. RATHER THAN LEAVING IT AT THAT, THE CTLR DECIDED TO PERSONALIZE THINGS, SAYING SUCH THINGS AS HE HAD ASSUMED THAT WE WERE PROFESSIONALS AND THAT WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED 210 KTS. I TRIED TO POINT OUT THAT CLRED FOR APCH WITHOUT SOMETHING SPECIFYING A SPD TO A CERTAIN POINT OR 'UNTIL ADVISED' LEFT US TO DECIDE WHEN WE WOULD SLOW DOWN, BUT HE APPEARED MORE INTERESTED IN GETTING IN THE LAST WORD. AT SOME POINT HE RANTED SOMETHING ABOUT HAVING WORKED SFO FOR 20 YRS AND THINGS WERE DONE THUS AND SO. I TOLD HIM THAT WE HADN'T BEEN WORKING THERE FOR 20 YRS AND THEREFORE WEREN'T THAT FAMILIAR WITH THEIR EXPECTATIONS, BUT THIS DIDN'T SEEM TO SATISFY HIM EITHER. WHEN IT COMES TO SPD CTL, IT IS MY BELIEF THAT, UNLESS THERE IS A SPECIFIED TIME OR CONDITION AT WHICH ANY ASSIGNED SPD IS TO TERMINATE (E.G., 'UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED' OR 'UNTIL 15 DME'), I HAVE THE OPTION ONCE I'VE BEEN CLRED FOR APCH TO SLOW WHEN I WANT TO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 227764: CTLR ASKED US TO MAINTAIN 180 KTS, WE SAID WE COULD DO 160 KTS FOR HIM. CTLR BECAME IRATE, AND STARTED ABUSIVE VERBAL EXCHANGE WITH CAPT. THIS DISCUSSION BECAME PERSONAL BY CTLR, AND WAS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OPS AND SAFETY. WE DID RAISE FLAPS AND GIVE HIM 180 KTS.

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.