B737-500 crew exceeds 250 KTS below 10000 ft in iah airspace.

Attributes
ACN	412420
Time
Date	199808
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iah
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu tracon : iah
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-500
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	412420
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	412422
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching iah from the northwest, we had been cleared for the coast arrival, direct to hoagi and asked to keep the speed up until reaching 10000 ft, and not to slow to 250 KTS until then. 6000 ft had been set in the altitude window as the lowest altitude on the coast arrival when we were initially cleared for the coast arrival. When asked to keep the speed up, the first officer (he was flying) disengaged VNAV and selected vertical speed. This took place approaching hoagi and just prior to handoff to approach. (Airspeed 310 KTS, vertical speed 2000 FPM.) we had the computer set up for the coast arrival and runway 26. When we checked in with approach, he cleared us direct to vette for the runway 14L approach. We had not yet reached 10000 ft at hoagi. By selecting direct to vette and runway 14, we removed the coast arrival and our 10000 ft protection. While the first officer was reprogramming the computer, I was retuning the ILS and changing the inbound course on the MCP. We both looked up at the same time and we were doing 310 KTS at 9000 ft. The first officer disconnected the autoplt and arrested the descent and airspeed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-500 CREW EXCEEDS 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT IN IAH AIRSPACE.

Narrative: APCHING IAH FROM THE NW, WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE COAST ARR, DIRECT TO HOAGI AND ASKED TO KEEP THE SPD UP UNTIL REACHING 10000 FT, AND NOT TO SLOW TO 250 KTS UNTIL THEN. 6000 FT HAD BEEN SET IN THE ALT WINDOW AS THE LOWEST ALT ON THE COAST ARR WHEN WE WERE INITIALLY CLRED FOR THE COAST ARR. WHEN ASKED TO KEEP THE SPD UP, THE FO (HE WAS FLYING) DISENGAGED VNAV AND SELECTED VERT SPD. THIS TOOK PLACE APCHING HOAGI AND JUST PRIOR TO HDOF TO APCH. (AIRSPD 310 KTS, VERT SPD 2000 FPM.) WE HAD THE COMPUTER SET UP FOR THE COAST ARR AND RWY 26. WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH APCH, HE CLRED US DIRECT TO VETTE FOR THE RWY 14L APCH. WE HAD NOT YET REACHED 10000 FT AT HOAGI. BY SELECTING DIRECT TO VETTE AND RWY 14, WE REMOVED THE COAST ARR AND OUR 10000 FT PROTECTION. WHILE THE FO WAS REPROGRAMMING THE COMPUTER, I WAS RETUNING THE ILS AND CHANGING THE INBOUND COURSE ON THE MCP. WE BOTH LOOKED UP AT THE SAME TIME AND WE WERE DOING 310 KTS AT 9000 FT. THE FO DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND ARRESTED THE DSCNT AND AIRSPD.

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.