An air carrier FK10 flight crew slows their aircraft when they encounter steady moderate turbulence....

Attributes
ACN	344110
Time
Date	199608
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lvz
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 11400 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	344110
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	343981
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 18000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

We were en route from mht to phl flying the mazie arrival. We had descended to 11000 ft and were in the vicinity of the wilkes barre VOR when we encountered moderate turbulence. I immediately slowed to turbulence penetration speed (250 KTS). Due to the frequency congestion on ZNY, we were unable to immediately notify ATC of our speed reduction. The center issued holding instructions to an airplane in front of us and gave them an expected further clearance about 1 hour away. The flight attendant called to ask how long we would be in this turbulence. Then center cleared us to hold at spuds intersection and gave us a 1 hour expected further clearance. We began to program the FMC and then notify our company of the hold. Workload was very high. The moderate turbulence coupled with lots of talk on the ATC radio made us forget to notify ATC of our speed reduction. ATC called and asked if we had slowed to which we answered yes, due to the turbulence, we had. He then asked us to speed up which we told him we were unable to do, again explaining the turbulence. He then wanted to know who had approved the speed reduction to which I replied I was the operator of this flight and I did not need his approval to operate the airplane in accordance with handbook limitations. I also told him we were unable to inform him because of the frequency congestion. He said we had a flight 3 mi behind us at our altitude with a 70 KT overtake. He then climbed and turned the flight behind us. Contributing to the problem was the fact this was the last leg of a 4 day trip. The previous day we had flown 6 legs and been on duty 14 plus hours. The night before we got to the hotel at XA30 and left at XJ30. I believe the cumulative effects of fatigue led to some task shedding during this incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FK10 FLC SLOWS THEIR ACFT WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER STEADY MODERATE TURB. THEY DID NOT INFORM THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION AND A FOLLOWING ACFT WAS CLOSING ON THEM WHEN THE CTLR INQUIRED ABOUT THEIR SPD. THE CTLR ORDERED THEM TO PICK UP THEIR SPD AND THEY REFUSED BECAUSE OF THE TURB.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE FROM MHT TO PHL FLYING THE MAZIE ARR. WE HAD DSNDED TO 11000 FT AND WERE IN THE VICINITY OF THE WILKES BARRE VOR WHEN WE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED TO TURB PENETRATION SPD (250 KTS). DUE TO THE FREQ CONGESTION ON ZNY, WE WERE UNABLE TO IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY ATC OF OUR SPD REDUCTION. THE CTR ISSUED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS TO AN AIRPLANE IN FRONT OF US AND GAVE THEM AN EXPECTED FURTHER CLRNC ABOUT 1 HR AWAY. THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO ASK HOW LONG WE WOULD BE IN THIS TURB. THEN CTR CLRED US TO HOLD AT SPUDS INTXN AND GAVE US A 1 HR EXPECTED FURTHER CLRNC. WE BEGAN TO PROGRAM THE FMC AND THEN NOTIFY OUR COMPANY OF THE HOLD. WORKLOAD WAS VERY HIGH. THE MODERATE TURB COUPLED WITH LOTS OF TALK ON THE ATC RADIO MADE US FORGET TO NOTIFY ATC OF OUR SPD REDUCTION. ATC CALLED AND ASKED IF WE HAD SLOWED TO WHICH WE ANSWERED YES, DUE TO THE TURB, WE HAD. HE THEN ASKED US TO SPD UP WHICH WE TOLD HIM WE WERE UNABLE TO DO, AGAIN EXPLAINING THE TURB. HE THEN WANTED TO KNOW WHO HAD APPROVED THE SPD REDUCTION TO WHICH I REPLIED I WAS THE OPERATOR OF THIS FLT AND I DID NOT NEED HIS APPROVAL TO OPERATE THE AIRPLANE IN ACCORDANCE WITH HANDBOOK LIMITATIONS. I ALSO TOLD HIM WE WERE UNABLE TO INFORM HIM BECAUSE OF THE FREQ CONGESTION. HE SAID WE HAD A FLT 3 MI BEHIND US AT OUR ALT WITH A 70 KT OVERTAKE. HE THEN CLBED AND TURNED THE FLT BEHIND US. CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROB WAS THE FACT THIS WAS THE LAST LEG OF A 4 DAY TRIP. THE PREVIOUS DAY WE HAD FLOWN 6 LEGS AND BEEN ON DUTY 14 PLUS HRS. THE NIGHT BEFORE WE GOT TO THE HOTEL AT XA30 AND LEFT AT XJ30. I BELIEVE THE CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF FATIGUE LED TO SOME TASK SHEDDING DURING THIS INCIDENT.

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.