Narrative:

On the first leg of the day, the captain informed me prior to departure that he would begin the day as the PF and that we would swap duties at the out-stations. According to that schedule, I should have been the PNF during the third leg of the day and had already placed myself mentally into that mode when the captain informed me during the takeoff/departure briefing just moments before takeoff that this would be my leg to fly. From that moment, I felt somewhat behind during the flight. I am new to the company, have no previous airline experience, and am not yet as familiar with the rtes as the captain. Also, on the previous leg, when I was PF, ATC had us perform an abnormally fast approach for their sequencing needs. It was safe and well within the aircraft's capabilities, but much faster than I am accustomed to. During that third leg of the day, ATC began our descent from cruise altitude rather close to the airport. I held nearly 2000 FPM until a pitch up was required later for speed reduction. As we descended, receiving vectors for the visual approach, power was nearly flight idle and airspeed was kept less than 250 KTS. We finally reported the class C airport in sight and were cleared for the visual approach approximately 9 mi from the airport. About that time, I overheard ATC talking to another approaching aircraft about sequencing/speeds. And I believe this may have alerted my captain because he pointed out that we were still in need of a speed reduction prior to penetrating the '200 KT restr' airspace around the airport. I immediately went the short distance back to flight idle and commanded the autoplt to pitch up so as to slow us down. The autoplt, as programmed, reacts more slowly than what a human would. And if I had it to do over again, not only would I have slowed sooner, I also would have taken over manually to pitch up more quickly therefore slowing the aircraft. ATC never queried our flight about airspeed, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB120 FLIES AT EXCESSIVE SPD AS IT APCHS EVV, IN, DURING ITS APCH.

Narrative: ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE DAY, THE CAPT INFORMED ME PRIOR TO DEP THAT HE WOULD BEGIN THE DAY AS THE PF AND THAT WE WOULD SWAP DUTIES AT THE OUT-STATIONS. ACCORDING TO THAT SCHEDULE, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE PNF DURING THE THIRD LEG OF THE DAY AND HAD ALREADY PLACED MYSELF MENTALLY INTO THAT MODE WHEN THE CAPT INFORMED ME DURING THE TKOF/DEP BRIEFING JUST MOMENTS BEFORE TKOF THAT THIS WOULD BE MY LEG TO FLY. FROM THAT MOMENT, I FELT SOMEWHAT BEHIND DURING THE FLT. I AM NEW TO THE COMPANY, HAVE NO PREVIOUS AIRLINE EXPERIENCE, AND AM NOT YET AS FAMILIAR WITH THE RTES AS THE CAPT. ALSO, ON THE PREVIOUS LEG, WHEN I WAS PF, ATC HAD US PERFORM AN ABNORMALLY FAST APCH FOR THEIR SEQUENCING NEEDS. IT WAS SAFE AND WELL WITHIN THE ACFT'S CAPABILITIES, BUT MUCH FASTER THAN I AM ACCUSTOMED TO. DURING THAT THIRD LEG OF THE DAY, ATC BEGAN OUR DSCNT FROM CRUISE ALT RATHER CLOSE TO THE ARPT. I HELD NEARLY 2000 FPM UNTIL A PITCH UP WAS REQUIRED LATER FOR SPD REDUCTION. AS WE DSNDED, RECEIVING VECTORS FOR THE VISUAL APCH, PWR WAS NEARLY FLT IDLE AND AIRSPD WAS KEPT LESS THAN 250 KTS. WE FINALLY RPTED THE CLASS C ARPT IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH APPROX 9 MI FROM THE ARPT. ABOUT THAT TIME, I OVERHEARD ATC TALKING TO ANOTHER APCHING ACFT ABOUT SEQUENCING/SPDS. AND I BELIEVE THIS MAY HAVE ALERTED MY CAPT BECAUSE HE POINTED OUT THAT WE WERE STILL IN NEED OF A SPD REDUCTION PRIOR TO PENETRATING THE '200 KT RESTR' AIRSPACE AROUND THE ARPT. I IMMEDIATELY WENT THE SHORT DISTANCE BACK TO FLT IDLE AND COMMANDED THE AUTOPLT TO PITCH UP SO AS TO SLOW US DOWN. THE AUTOPLT, AS PROGRAMMED, REACTS MORE SLOWLY THAN WHAT A HUMAN WOULD. AND IF I HAD IT TO DO OVER AGAIN, NOT ONLY WOULD I HAVE SLOWED SOONER, I ALSO WOULD HAVE TAKEN OVER MANUALLY TO PITCH UP MORE QUICKLY THEREFORE SLOWING THE ACFT. ATC NEVER QUERIED OUR FLT ABOUT AIRSPD, ETC.

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.