Narrative:

The chain or errors began on our descent into den on the larks 1 STAR from FL370. The problem arose due to myself, the captain, being relatively new in the position and being paired with a brand new first officer who is not experienced in IFR flight environment, flight, turbojet, at equipment, or ATC procedures and crew concept. He has a background only basically in VFR conditions. Therefore, as well as having to concentrate on my duties as captain and PF this leg, I was also having to basically accomplish checklist, navigation, and radio calls. I allowed myself to be distraction in accomplishing these other tasks and I was sloppy and very marginal at best in meeting a larks intersection crossing restr of 17000 ft, 250 KTS. The chain of errors continued on the approach in the form of missed calls and slow accomplishment of tasks. Den approach gave us vectors to intercept the runway 35R ILS with requested 170 KTS. We flew the vector and pegged the airspeed. ATC kept inquiring as to our airspeed and we replied 170 KTS. They vectored us through the localizer and gave us two 90 degree turns left and one 90 degree turn right to rejoin the localizer. At this time I was having to fly and coach the first officer in radio calls and missed radio calls and accomplishment of checklists. I allowed our airspeed to bleed off to 150 KTS and allowed my descent from 11000 ft to 8000 ft to stop momentarily at 8700 ft. They broke us off of the approach and brought us back around requesting 160 KTS, we followed the vectors and maintained 160 KTS and approach kept questioning us on our airspeed and we replied 160 KTS. We shot the approach and landed without incident and nothing was said from ATC. I felt that my performance was poor and I should not have allowed the distrs to affect my accuracy in the approach. The first officer should not have been put on line with the obvious deficiencies that he has without remedial training to bring him up to standard. Concerning ATC this was not the first poor performance on the part of ATC at den that I have encountered. It seems as if they paint themselves into a corner and expect you to fly loops to accommodate their mistakes and lack of forethought and planning. The description of vectors and airspeed requests don't do justice to the chaos that they seemed to have created (since we pegged their requested airspeed and they still were unable to fit us into the approach flow). You would think that an airport of the size and traffic quantity as den that they would have the foresight and planning to allow for some semblance of a normal approach on an evening when they know the ceiling was 300 ft variable with 1 mi or less visibility and icing from 10000 ft to the surface.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN ATX CARGO JET FAILED TO MEET A XING AND SPD RESTR AS WELL AS THE PUBLISHED ARR TRACK IN SEVERAL INSTANCES DURING A STAR ARR.

Narrative: THE CHAIN OR ERRORS BEGAN ON OUR DSCNT INTO DEN ON THE LARKS 1 STAR FROM FL370. THE PROB AROSE DUE TO MYSELF, THE CAPT, BEING RELATIVELY NEW IN THE POS AND BEING PAIRED WITH A BRAND NEW FO WHO IS NOT EXPERIENCED IN IFR FLT ENVIRONMENT, FLT, TURBOJET, AT EQUIP, OR ATC PROCS AND CREW CONCEPT. HE HAS A BACKGROUND ONLY BASICALLY IN VFR CONDITIONS. THEREFORE, AS WELL AS HAVING TO CONCENTRATE ON MY DUTIES AS CAPT AND PF THIS LEG, I WAS ALSO HAVING TO BASICALLY ACCOMPLISH CHKLIST, NAV, AND RADIO CALLS. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTR IN ACCOMPLISHING THESE OTHER TASKS AND I WAS SLOPPY AND VERY MARGINAL AT BEST IN MEETING A LARKS INTXN XING RESTR OF 17000 FT, 250 KTS. THE CHAIN OF ERRORS CONTINUED ON THE APCH IN THE FORM OF MISSED CALLS AND SLOW ACCOMPLISHMENT OF TASKS. DEN APCH GAVE US VECTORS TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 35R ILS WITH REQUESTED 170 KTS. WE FLEW THE VECTOR AND PEGGED THE AIRSPD. ATC KEPT INQUIRING AS TO OUR AIRSPD AND WE REPLIED 170 KTS. THEY VECTORED US THROUGH THE LOC AND GAVE US TWO 90 DEG TURNS L AND ONE 90 DEG TURN R TO REJOIN THE LOC. AT THIS TIME I WAS HAVING TO FLY AND COACH THE FO IN RADIO CALLS AND MISSED RADIO CALLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENT OF CHKLISTS. I ALLOWED OUR AIRSPD TO BLEED OFF TO 150 KTS AND ALLOWED MY DSCNT FROM 11000 FT TO 8000 FT TO STOP MOMENTARILY AT 8700 FT. THEY BROKE US OFF OF THE APCH AND BROUGHT US BACK AROUND REQUESTING 160 KTS, WE FOLLOWED THE VECTORS AND MAINTAINED 160 KTS AND APCH KEPT QUESTIONING US ON OUR AIRSPD AND WE REPLIED 160 KTS. WE SHOT THE APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND NOTHING WAS SAID FROM ATC. I FELT THAT MY PERFORMANCE WAS POOR AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED THE DISTRS TO AFFECT MY ACCURACY IN THE APCH. THE FO SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PUT ON LINE WITH THE OBVIOUS DEFICIENCIES THAT HE HAS WITHOUT REMEDIAL TRAINING TO BRING HIM UP TO STANDARD. CONCERNING ATC THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST POOR PERFORMANCE ON THE PART OF ATC AT DEN THAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED. IT SEEMS AS IF THEY PAINT THEMSELVES INTO A CORNER AND EXPECT YOU TO FLY LOOPS TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR MISTAKES AND LACK OF FORETHOUGHT AND PLANNING. THE DESCRIPTION OF VECTORS AND AIRSPD REQUESTS DON'T DO JUSTICE TO THE CHAOS THAT THEY SEEMED TO HAVE CREATED (SINCE WE PEGGED THEIR REQUESTED AIRSPD AND THEY STILL WERE UNABLE TO FIT US INTO THE APCH FLOW). YOU WOULD THINK THAT AN ARPT OF THE SIZE AND TFC QUANTITY AS DEN THAT THEY WOULD HAVE THE FORESIGHT AND PLANNING TO ALLOW FOR SOME SEMBLANCE OF A NORMAL APCH ON AN EVENING WHEN THEY KNOW THE CEILING WAS 300 FT VARIABLE WITH 1 MI OR LESS VISIBILITY AND ICING FROM 10000 FT TO THE SURFACE.

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.