Narrative:

After departure and first level off at 4000 ft MSL, ATC gave subsequent headings, and altitudes along with a restriction not to exceed 250 KTS until further advised. I acknowledged and asked the captain if he would like me to select 'level change' (the aircraft was being hand flow in the 'VNAV' mode which would automatically advance the speed command to the program and climb airspeed once we left 10000 ft). The captain replied in the negative and I assumed he would continue to hand fly and disregard the speed cursor and flight director indications above 10000 ft or that he was counting on getting the speed restriction removed. I should add that this captain was very non-standard, a very strong and obnoxious personality. This was my first flight with him and at this point we had been together a total of perhaps 50 mins. He had already told me that, in contravention to company policy, he smoked in the cockpit and did not use headphones (we are required to use earphones and boom mikes below FL180). Even when we were working 2 different frequencys, he would have his speaker on full volume. Just below 10000 ft he put the aircraft on the autoplt, and shortly after leaving 10000 for 14000 ATC asked us for our airspeed. I had not caught the increase as I was, at this point, heads down making a call to company giving our departure time. This due to inoperative ACARS, and had to concentrate on this excessively due to the abnormally loud volume of his speaker which made concentration on anything very difficult. This is an excellent example of the dual standard applied to first officer's vs capts. Most capts would not tolerate these habits (smoking, using overhead speakers where prohibited). The first officer would be in serious trouble if he persisted. Yet, a captain would only get a mild reprimand if anything. If a first officer complained about this, he would then continue with these habits unchanged. The problem is not that the first officer is not an equal in the cockpit, but rather, that he is not an equal outside the cockpit in the eyes of management. Cockpit resource management helps, but extreme cases do not seem to be helped very much.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FO RELATES A TALE OF HIS PIC'S FLC BEHAVIOR UNPROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE IN NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC. INSTRUCTION AND DEV FROM AIRLINE MGMNT POLICIES AND PROCS.

Narrative: AFTER DEP AND FIRST LEVEL OFF AT 4000 FT MSL, ATC GAVE SUBSEQUENT HDGS, AND ALTS ALONG WITH A RESTRICTION NOT TO EXCEED 250 KTS UNTIL FURTHER ADVISED. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WOULD LIKE ME TO SELECT 'LEVEL CHANGE' (THE ACFT WAS BEING HAND FLOW IN THE 'VNAV' MODE WHICH WOULD AUTOMATICALLY ADVANCE THE SPD COMMAND TO THE PROGRAM AND CLB AIRSPD ONCE WE LEFT 10000 FT). THE CAPT REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE AND I ASSUMED HE WOULD CONTINUE TO HAND FLY AND DISREGARD THE SPD CURSOR AND FLT DIRECTOR INDICATIONS ABOVE 10000 FT OR THAT HE WAS COUNTING ON GETTING THE SPD RESTRICTION REMOVED. I SHOULD ADD THAT THIS CAPT WAS VERY NON-STANDARD, A VERY STRONG AND OBNOXIOUS PERSONALITY. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT WITH HIM AND AT THIS POINT WE HAD BEEN TOGETHER A TOTAL OF PERHAPS 50 MINS. HE HAD ALREADY TOLD ME THAT, IN CONTRAVENTION TO COMPANY POLICY, HE SMOKED IN THE COCKPIT AND DID NOT USE HEADPHONES (WE ARE REQUIRED TO USE EARPHONES AND BOOM MIKES BELOW FL180). EVEN WHEN WE WERE WORKING 2 DIFFERENT FREQS, HE WOULD HAVE HIS SPEAKER ON FULL VOLUME. JUST BELOW 10000 FT HE PUT THE ACFT ON THE AUTOPLT, AND SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING 10000 FOR 14000 ATC ASKED US FOR OUR AIRSPD. I HAD NOT CAUGHT THE INCREASE AS I WAS, AT THIS POINT, HEADS DOWN MAKING A CALL TO COMPANY GIVING OUR DEP TIME. THIS DUE TO INOP ACARS, AND HAD TO CONCENTRATE ON THIS EXCESSIVELY DUE TO THE ABNORMALLY LOUD VOLUME OF HIS SPEAKER WHICH MADE CONCENTRATION ON ANYTHING VERY DIFFICULT. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE DUAL STANDARD APPLIED TO FO'S VS CAPTS. MOST CAPTS WOULD NOT TOLERATE THESE HABITS (SMOKING, USING OVERHEAD SPEAKERS WHERE PROHIBITED). THE FO WOULD BE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IF HE PERSISTED. YET, A CAPT WOULD ONLY GET A MILD REPRIMAND IF ANYTHING. IF A FO COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS, HE WOULD THEN CONTINUE WITH THESE HABITS UNCHANGED. THE PROB IS NOT THAT THE FO IS NOT AN EQUAL IN THE COCKPIT, BUT RATHER, THAT HE IS NOT AN EQUAL OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT IN THE EYES OF MGMNT. COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT HELPS, BUT EXTREME CASES DO NOT SEEM TO BE HELPED VERY MUCH.

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.