Overspd below 10000 ft.

Attributes
ACN	297156
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zny
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 12030 flight time type : 4180
ASRS Report	297156
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Just started descent into ewr, #2 flight attendant rushed into cockpit and said there was a woman (elderly) down in the aisle with shortness of breath, please turn on cabin oxygen. While first officer dealt with flight attendant, I took over radio and flying. I declared medical emergency and requested direct ewr and advised ATC nature of emergency and that I would be holding 340 KTS to final approach. ATC was very helpful and vectored us to final runway 4R ewr. By the time I saw the airport, I was too high to land. I requested a 360 degree turn and landed. This was my first leg with this crew and I had not sorted out the personalities of this crew. I feel #2 flight attendant may have overreacted to a case of an elderly woman at the end of a long trip losing her balance. The woman also didn't speak english. I should have talked to the lead flight attendant as well to get a second opinion. The lead flight attendant told me later #2 flight attendant did not consult with her and only found out what was happening after #2 flight attendant came back out of the cockpit. Ultimately, I think the only thing I would have done differently is not to exceed 250 KTS below 10000 ft in the new york area. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting captain flies the dc-9 for a major united states air carrier. He had never seen the first officer before this leg. This unfamiliarity with the first officer had nothing to do with the overspd into ewr. The reporter states that he failed to slow down in time because of the pressure put on him by the emergency situation in the cabin. The captain regrets that he did not get a better briefing of the situation which could have been provided by the lead flight attendant. He said that you 'keep seeing yourself at the hearing' trying to explain why he did not do more. He admits that he 'overreacted to a poorly explained situation.' the passenger survived, but the captain has had 4 recent heart attacks on board that required similar attention. The first officer did a good job and is easy to work with.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OVERSPD BELOW 10000 FT.

Narrative: JUST STARTED DSCNT INTO EWR, #2 FLT ATTENDANT RUSHED INTO COCKPIT AND SAID THERE WAS A WOMAN (ELDERLY) DOWN IN THE AISLE WITH SHORTNESS OF BREATH, PLEASE TURN ON CABIN OXYGEN. WHILE FO DEALT WITH FLT ATTENDANT, I TOOK OVER RADIO AND FLYING. I DECLARED MEDICAL EMER AND REQUESTED DIRECT EWR AND ADVISED ATC NATURE OF EMER AND THAT I WOULD BE HOLDING 340 KTS TO FINAL APCH. ATC WAS VERY HELPFUL AND VECTORED US TO FINAL RWY 4R EWR. BY THE TIME I SAW THE ARPT, I WAS TOO HIGH TO LAND. I REQUESTED A 360 DEG TURN AND LANDED. THIS WAS MY FIRST LEG WITH THIS CREW AND I HAD NOT SORTED OUT THE PERSONALITIES OF THIS CREW. I FEEL #2 FLT ATTENDANT MAY HAVE OVERREACTED TO A CASE OF AN ELDERLY WOMAN AT THE END OF A LONG TRIP LOSING HER BAL. THE WOMAN ALSO DIDN'T SPEAK ENGLISH. I SHOULD HAVE TALKED TO THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT AS WELL TO GET A SECOND OPINION. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME LATER #2 FLT ATTENDANT DID NOT CONSULT WITH HER AND ONLY FOUND OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING AFTER #2 FLT ATTENDANT CAME BACK OUT OF THE COCKPIT. ULTIMATELY, I THINK THE ONLY THING I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY IS NOT TO EXCEED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT IN THE NEW YORK AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING CAPT FLIES THE DC-9 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. HE HAD NEVER SEEN THE FO BEFORE THIS LEG. THIS UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE FO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OVERSPD INTO EWR. THE RPTR STATES THAT HE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN IN TIME BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE PUT ON HIM BY THE EMER SIT IN THE CABIN. THE CAPT REGRETS THAT HE DID NOT GET A BETTER BRIEFING OF THE SIT WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED BY THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT. HE SAID THAT YOU 'KEEP SEEING YOURSELF AT THE HEARING' TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHY HE DID NOT DO MORE. HE ADMITS THAT HE 'OVERREACTED TO A POORLY EXPLAINED SIT.' THE PAX SURVIVED, BUT THE CAPT HAS HAD 4 RECENT HEART ATTACKS ON BOARD THAT REQUIRED SIMILAR ATTN. THE FO DID A GOOD JOB AND IS EASY TO WORK WITH.

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.