Narrative:

I have been flying with this captain all month long. He is a complete idiot and on several, several occasions during the month, I have saved his (and mine) bacon. All month long he has missed crossing restrs, gotten lost on txwys, misread clrncs, etc, etc, etc! He has been more intent on getting dates with flight attendants than concentrating on doing his job. I mean I was doing everything! He would get into his seat at pushback and then expect me to brief him on everything that needed to be done. As I said earlier, I carried him for 3 of the 4 rotations before I finally quit. I told him 'he needed to pay more attention to what he was doing and that I wasn't going to carry him any more!' well, he started working, but still fairly incompetent. He still could not read back clrncs correctly much less make them without my help. My god! This airplane has a great FMS system -- how hard can it be! 'Did he say cross 25 south of cvg at 240?' 'no captain, he said cross 45 south of cvg at 260.' ahhhhhh! In any case you get the feel for how this crew was working. It got down to our last leg into atl. We were cleared to cross womac at 13000 ft, then descend to 9000 ft. He only said 'roger' as I read back the clearance. I thought, or perhaps I made the fatal error of assuming, he understood the clearance. We both have college degrees after all. Anyway, I looked down and started getting my approach plate out and looked up to see our altitude at 13300 ft with a 2000 FPM descent. I told him 'womac at 13000 ft then down to 9000 ft!' he asked me if I was sure as he began programming the autoplt, instead of clicking it off and leveling immediately. We ended up at 12400 ft. I thought he would sneak back up to 13000 ft but he just stayed there and then called approach and asked them if they wanted us at 13000 ft (not only incompetent but extremely stupid!) approach said 'absolutely!' we climbed back and proceeded to atl. Approach said it was ok and no separation was lost. I think the problem was basically lack of CRM. The MD88 first officer seat is the busiest seat on our airline. That's true, even if the captain does his share. If he is lazy, then the first officer is pretty much saturated which not only is unsafe, but also frustrating and resentment begins. Capts need to remember when they were first officer's and try to at least do their portion of the work. Of course, personalities play a large part of the CRM process. Unfortunately we can't like everyone we fly with. I would recommend a system of being able to not fly with someone you dislike. We used to have it at our airline but not anymore. The only option left is to sick out for a trip. This would provide for safer crews and more effective CRM.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FO TELLS TALES OF HIS CAPT'S INCOMPETENCE IN FLC TECHNIQUE FLYING JUDGEMENT PERCEPTION AND HIS OWN FAILURE TO EXERCISE ENOUGH CRM, COCKPIT COORD. LAST INCIDENT RELATES TO AN ALTDEV ALT OVERSHOT IN DSCNT.

Narrative: I HAVE BEEN FLYING WITH THIS CAPT ALL MONTH LONG. HE IS A COMPLETE IDIOT AND ON SEVERAL, SEVERAL OCCASIONS DURING THE MONTH, I HAVE SAVED HIS (AND MINE) BACON. ALL MONTH LONG HE HAS MISSED XING RESTRS, GOTTEN LOST ON TXWYS, MISREAD CLRNCS, ETC, ETC, ETC! HE HAS BEEN MORE INTENT ON GETTING DATES WITH FLT ATTENDANTS THAN CONCENTRATING ON DOING HIS JOB. I MEAN I WAS DOING EVERYTHING! HE WOULD GET INTO HIS SEAT AT PUSHBACK AND THEN EXPECT ME TO BRIEF HIM ON EVERYTHING THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. AS I SAID EARLIER, I CARRIED HIM FOR 3 OF THE 4 ROTATIONS BEFORE I FINALLY QUIT. I TOLD HIM 'HE NEEDED TO PAY MORE ATTN TO WHAT HE WAS DOING AND THAT I WASN'T GOING TO CARRY HIM ANY MORE!' WELL, HE STARTED WORKING, BUT STILL FAIRLY INCOMPETENT. HE STILL COULD NOT READ BACK CLRNCS CORRECTLY MUCH LESS MAKE THEM WITHOUT MY HELP. MY GOD! THIS AIRPLANE HAS A GREAT FMS SYS -- HOW HARD CAN IT BE! 'DID HE SAY CROSS 25 S OF CVG AT 240?' 'NO CAPT, HE SAID CROSS 45 S OF CVG AT 260.' AHHHHHH! IN ANY CASE YOU GET THE FEEL FOR HOW THIS CREW WAS WORKING. IT GOT DOWN TO OUR LAST LEG INTO ATL. WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS WOMAC AT 13000 FT, THEN DSND TO 9000 FT. HE ONLY SAID 'ROGER' AS I READ BACK THE CLRNC. I THOUGHT, OR PERHAPS I MADE THE FATAL ERROR OF ASSUMING, HE UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC. WE BOTH HAVE COLLEGE DEGREES AFTER ALL. ANYWAY, I LOOKED DOWN AND STARTED GETTING MY APCH PLATE OUT AND LOOKED UP TO SEE OUR ALT AT 13300 FT WITH A 2000 FPM DSCNT. I TOLD HIM 'WOMAC AT 13000 FT THEN DOWN TO 9000 FT!' HE ASKED ME IF I WAS SURE AS HE BEGAN PROGRAMMING THE AUTOPLT, INSTEAD OF CLICKING IT OFF AND LEVELING IMMEDIATELY. WE ENDED UP AT 12400 FT. I THOUGHT HE WOULD SNEAK BACK UP TO 13000 FT BUT HE JUST STAYED THERE AND THEN CALLED APCH AND ASKED THEM IF THEY WANTED US AT 13000 FT (NOT ONLY INCOMPETENT BUT EXTREMELY STUPID!) APCH SAID 'ABSOLUTELY!' WE CLBED BACK AND PROCEEDED TO ATL. APCH SAID IT WAS OK AND NO SEPARATION WAS LOST. I THINK THE PROB WAS BASICALLY LACK OF CRM. THE MD88 FO SEAT IS THE BUSIEST SEAT ON OUR AIRLINE. THAT'S TRUE, EVEN IF THE CAPT DOES HIS SHARE. IF HE IS LAZY, THEN THE FO IS PRETTY MUCH SATURATED WHICH NOT ONLY IS UNSAFE, BUT ALSO FRUSTRATING AND RESENTMENT BEGINS. CAPTS NEED TO REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE FO'S AND TRY TO AT LEAST DO THEIR PORTION OF THE WORK. OF COURSE, PERSONALITIES PLAY A LARGE PART OF THE CRM PROCESS. UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T LIKE EVERYONE WE FLY WITH. I WOULD RECOMMEND A SYS OF BEING ABLE TO NOT FLY WITH SOMEONE YOU DISLIKE. WE USED TO HAVE IT AT OUR AIRLINE BUT NOT ANYMORE. THE ONLY OPTION LEFT IS TO SICK OUT FOR A TRIP. THIS WOULD PROVIDE FOR SAFER CREWS AND MORE EFFECTIVE CRM.

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.