Narrative:

ATC instructed our flight to descend immediately (from FL370) to FL310 for traffic, expedite descent. I acknowledged, 'air carrier flight xyz leaving FL370 for FL310, where is traffic.' ATC's depiction on the traffic indicated this was for traffic separation (20 NM at 9 O'clock) as opposed to an impending midair. Captain used vertical speed to do the descent. Our procedure is not to use 'vertical speed' for anything but non precision approachs because it can take you away from your selected altitude as well as towards it. This captain had been difficult to fly with over the past 3 days (this was the last day of a ewr-bogota-quito-bogota-ewr pairing). He was constantly, a) talking in sterile period, B) inventing non standard procedures with pressurization, FMC, etc. Had I not forcibly protested he would have had flight attendant in the jump seat to observe landing at night in quito. In short, I had a headache from monitoring this idiot. I observed autoplt not acquiring FL310. I called out 'it's not stopping at FL310.' 200 ft below I verbalized more forcefully and told him to climb. He allowed aircraft to descend to FL306 and then gradually 'vertical speeded' it back to FL310. He let it stay at FL306 for 20-30 seconds (seemed like an eternity). Possibly he was mistakenly concerned about passenger comfort perceptions in an abrupt correction. In similar sits my priority is timely correction, even at the expense of a spilled cup of coffee. I finally shouted, 'climb, climb, get this blankety blank aircraft back to FL310!!' my mistake was not taking the controls 200 ft below by punching off the autoplt. I was just too worn down by 30 days of dealing with over-sized ego and constantly riding hard on his 'hip-pocket' procedures. I asked him if he knew why the event happened and he replied 'I don't know.' it was because he manipulated 'vertical speed' after 'altitude acquire.' I had flown with this individual once in oct 1995 when he made it into the select group of those 'I bid around.' he has now graduated to the smaller group that, if I see them in the cockpit and my family is pass riding, I pull my family off the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FO RPT ON HIS PIC'S ATTITUDE AND FLYING TECHNIQUE DURING ONE PARTICULAR ALTDEV.

Narrative: ATC INSTRUCTED OUR FLT TO DSND IMMEDIATELY (FROM FL370) TO FL310 FOR TFC, EXPEDITE DSCNT. I ACKNOWLEDGED, 'ACR FLT XYZ LEAVING FL370 FOR FL310, WHERE IS TFC.' ATC'S DEPICTION ON THE TFC INDICATED THIS WAS FOR TFC SEPARATION (20 NM AT 9 O'CLOCK) AS OPPOSED TO AN IMPENDING MIDAIR. CAPT USED VERT SPD TO DO THE DSCNT. OUR PROC IS NOT TO USE 'VERT SPD' FOR ANYTHING BUT NON PRECISION APCHS BECAUSE IT CAN TAKE YOU AWAY FROM YOUR SELECTED ALT AS WELL AS TOWARDS IT. THIS CAPT HAD BEEN DIFFICULT TO FLY WITH OVER THE PAST 3 DAYS (THIS WAS THE LAST DAY OF A EWR-BOGOTA-QUITO-BOGOTA-EWR PAIRING). HE WAS CONSTANTLY, A) TALKING IN STERILE PERIOD, B) INVENTING NON STANDARD PROCS WITH PRESSURIZATION, FMC, ETC. HAD I NOT FORCIBLY PROTESTED HE WOULD HAVE HAD FLT ATTENDANT IN THE JUMP SEAT TO OBSERVE LNDG AT NIGHT IN QUITO. IN SHORT, I HAD A HEADACHE FROM MONITORING THIS IDIOT. I OBSERVED AUTOPLT NOT ACQUIRING FL310. I CALLED OUT 'IT'S NOT STOPPING AT FL310.' 200 FT BELOW I VERBALIZED MORE FORCEFULLY AND TOLD HIM TO CLB. HE ALLOWED ACFT TO DSND TO FL306 AND THEN GRADUALLY 'VERT SPEEDED' IT BACK TO FL310. HE LET IT STAY AT FL306 FOR 20-30 SECONDS (SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY). POSSIBLY HE WAS MISTAKENLY CONCERNED ABOUT PAX COMFORT PERCEPTIONS IN AN ABRUPT CORRECTION. IN SIMILAR SITS MY PRIORITY IS TIMELY CORRECTION, EVEN AT THE EXPENSE OF A SPILLED CUP OF COFFEE. I FINALLY SHOUTED, 'CLB, CLB, GET THIS BLANKETY BLANK ACFT BACK TO FL310!!' MY MISTAKE WAS NOT TAKING THE CTLS 200 FT BELOW BY PUNCHING OFF THE AUTOPLT. I WAS JUST TOO WORN DOWN BY 30 DAYS OF DEALING WITH OVER-SIZED EGO AND CONSTANTLY RIDING HARD ON HIS 'HIP-POCKET' PROCS. I ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW WHY THE EVENT HAPPENED AND HE REPLIED 'I DON'T KNOW.' IT WAS BECAUSE HE MANIPULATED 'VERT SPD' AFTER 'ALT ACQUIRE.' I HAD FLOWN WITH THIS INDIVIDUAL ONCE IN OCT 1995 WHEN HE MADE IT INTO THE SELECT GROUP OF THOSE 'I BID AROUND.' HE HAS NOW GRADUATED TO THE SMALLER GROUP THAT, IF I SEE THEM IN THE COCKPIT AND MY FAMILY IS PASS RIDING, I PULL MY FAMILY OFF THE ACFT.

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.