B737-200 aircraft in descent exceeded 250 KTS below 10000 ft. Reporter captain quickly corrected.

Attributes
ACN	375530
Time
Date	199707
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cle
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	enroute airway : cle
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	375530
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Operating as flight X, stl-cle. Captain flying, air carrier maintenance inspector on the cockpit jump seat (not a pilot). Flight descended to cross wakem intersection at 10000 ft MSL and was vectored 100 degrees to intercept (what I thought) was the localizer for runway 5R. Some confusion ensued about what approach we were cleared for since the localizer was OTS. At this point, I looked down and was descending past 8500 ft (cleared to 5000 ft) at an airspeed of 270 KTS. The inspector said nothing at that time or later. We uneventfully corrected quickly and flew an NDB/visual to runway 5R with a good touchdown. Distracted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 ACFT IN DSCNT EXCEEDED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT. RPTR CAPT QUICKLY CORRECTED.

Narrative: OPERATING AS FLT X, STL-CLE. CAPT FLYING, ACR MAINT INSPECTOR ON THE COCKPIT JUMP SEAT (NOT A PLT). FLT DSNDED TO CROSS WAKEM INTXN AT 10000 FT MSL AND WAS VECTORED 100 DEGS TO INTERCEPT (WHAT I THOUGHT) WAS THE LOC FOR RWY 5R. SOME CONFUSION ENSUED ABOUT WHAT APCH WE WERE CLRED FOR SINCE THE LOC WAS OTS. AT THIS POINT, I LOOKED DOWN AND WAS DSNDING PAST 8500 FT (CLRED TO 5000 FT) AT AN AIRSPD OF 270 KTS. THE INSPECTOR SAID NOTHING AT THAT TIME OR LATER. WE UNEVENTFULLY CORRECTED QUICKLY AND FLEW AN NDB/VISUAL TO RWY 5R WITH A GOOD TOUCHDOWN. DISTRACTED.

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.