Narrative:

Our company requires the PNF to get WX information and make an in-range call to obtain gate information as well as make a PA announcement to passenger as we start our initial descent into destination. This typically occurs around FL180 to FL200. I always attempt to leave the volume control up on both radios so I can monitor anything directed to our flight. At times this can be difficult, given congestion, interference and just the fact that 2 frequencys are being monitored. On this particular evening, although I was the captain, the first officer was doing the flying which meant I had to do the in-range calls, try to copy the WX (deciphering illogical, hieroglyphical metar information presented by an annoying computer-generated voice thick with an accent). Obviously the FAA is not forced to deal with this on a daily basis for, if they were, it is doubtful that they would have implemented both of these recent changes. In between my own radio work, I copied that we were 'cleared to FL250, expect to cross deer park at FL190.' I observed the first officer initiate his descent. Just prior to passing through FL250, I stopped my busy work and challenged him about his continuing to descend through FL250. He arrested his descent, but when I asked him, 'is FL190 a hard altitude or an expect altitude?' (he had preselected FL190 in the aircraft altitude select window), he responded with, 'uh, uh, we were given FL190.' I continued, 'no, I heard expect FL190, what altitude did you leave just now?' his answer, 'uh, uh, I don't know.' I continued, 'what altitude were you going to?' same thing, 'uh, I thought FL190.' good grief! This guy is type-rated in this aircraft and he has absolutely no idea what altitude he has been cleared to or whether or not he is supposed to descend to FL190, FL250 or any other altitude, but yet he would have just continued his descent without even inquiring of ATC. I am getting real fed up with this whole business of letting first officer's fly at all. These people know they are not ultimately responsible for the flight -- the captain is, so their attitude is one of 'ho-hum.' I am seeing this kind of thing too much and maybe it is time to go back to coplts working radios and yanking the gear only. My recommendations are that the FAA should look at mandating ACARS on all part 121 aircraft so that the captain is not necessarily distraction by getting approach phase information. I am also discussing this situation with our company chief pilot so he can take whatever action he deems appropriate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FK10 CAPT HAS A GENERAL COMPLAINT ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE FO'S THAT HE FLIES WITH AND THE SHARING OF DUTIES.

Narrative: OUR COMPANY REQUIRES THE PNF TO GET WX INFO AND MAKE AN IN-RANGE CALL TO OBTAIN GATE INFO AS WELL AS MAKE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO PAX AS WE START OUR INITIAL DSCNT INTO DEST. THIS TYPICALLY OCCURS AROUND FL180 TO FL200. I ALWAYS ATTEMPT TO LEAVE THE VOLUME CTL UP ON BOTH RADIOS SO I CAN MONITOR ANYTHING DIRECTED TO OUR FLT. AT TIMES THIS CAN BE DIFFICULT, GIVEN CONGESTION, INTERFERENCE AND JUST THE FACT THAT 2 FREQS ARE BEING MONITORED. ON THIS PARTICULAR EVENING, ALTHOUGH I WAS THE CAPT, THE FO WAS DOING THE FLYING WHICH MEANT I HAD TO DO THE IN-RANGE CALLS, TRY TO COPY THE WX (DECIPHERING ILLOGICAL, HIEROGLYPHICAL METAR INFO PRESENTED BY AN ANNOYING COMPUTER-GENERATED VOICE THICK WITH AN ACCENT). OBVIOUSLY THE FAA IS NOT FORCED TO DEAL WITH THIS ON A DAILY BASIS FOR, IF THEY WERE, IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT THEY WOULD HAVE IMPLEMENTED BOTH OF THESE RECENT CHANGES. IN BTWN MY OWN RADIO WORK, I COPIED THAT WE WERE 'CLRED TO FL250, EXPECT TO CROSS DEER PARK AT FL190.' I OBSERVED THE FO INITIATE HIS DSCNT. JUST PRIOR TO PASSING THROUGH FL250, I STOPPED MY BUSY WORK AND CHALLENGED HIM ABOUT HIS CONTINUING TO DSND THROUGH FL250. HE ARRESTED HIS DSCNT, BUT WHEN I ASKED HIM, 'IS FL190 A HARD ALT OR AN EXPECT ALT?' (HE HAD PRESELECTED FL190 IN THE ACFT ALT SELECT WINDOW), HE RESPONDED WITH, 'UH, UH, WE WERE GIVEN FL190.' I CONTINUED, 'NO, I HEARD EXPECT FL190, WHAT ALT DID YOU LEAVE JUST NOW?' HIS ANSWER, 'UH, UH, I DON'T KNOW.' I CONTINUED, 'WHAT ALT WERE YOU GOING TO?' SAME THING, 'UH, I THOUGHT FL190.' GOOD GRIEF! THIS GUY IS TYPE-RATED IN THIS ACFT AND HE HAS ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT ALT HE HAS BEEN CLRED TO OR WHETHER OR NOT HE IS SUPPOSED TO DSND TO FL190, FL250 OR ANY OTHER ALT, BUT YET HE WOULD HAVE JUST CONTINUED HIS DSCNT WITHOUT EVEN INQUIRING OF ATC. I AM GETTING REAL FED UP WITH THIS WHOLE BUSINESS OF LETTING FO'S FLY AT ALL. THESE PEOPLE KNOW THEY ARE NOT ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FLT -- THE CAPT IS, SO THEIR ATTITUDE IS ONE OF 'HO-HUM.' I AM SEEING THIS KIND OF THING TOO MUCH AND MAYBE IT IS TIME TO GO BACK TO COPLTS WORKING RADIOS AND YANKING THE GEAR ONLY. MY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THAT THE FAA SHOULD LOOK AT MANDATING ACARS ON ALL PART 121 ACFT SO THAT THE CAPT IS NOT NECESSARILY DISTR BY GETTING APCH PHASE INFO. I AM ALSO DISCUSSING THIS SIT WITH OUR COMPANY CHIEF PLT SO HE CAN TAKE WHATEVER ACTION HE DEEMS APPROPRIATE.

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.