Narrative:

On williamsport arrival into ewr, we were assigned 320 KTS and later given a crossing restr of sweet at 7000 ft. On descent through 16000 ft, we encountered borderline moderate turbulence and informed ATC that due to turbulence we had to slow to 280 KTS. He said ok and asked if we could still make sweet at 7000 ft. I took a quick look at our distance/altitude, saw my first officer deploying the speed brake, and replied yes. We initially slowed to 280 KTS, but my first officer, seeing that we were above the descent profile for sweet, increased the descent rate and allowed the airspeed to build back up to 300 KTS. At 11500 ft with about 4000 FPM rate of descent, I called out approaching 10000 ft for slowing to 250 KTS. The first officer didn't pick up on what I said so now at 10500 ft with 300 KTS and 4000 FPM rate of descent, I said we need to slow down. He initiated the slowdown with the vertical speed wheel and I pointed to altitude hold, which he then pushed. We finally leveled at 8700 ft and slowed to 250 KTS. At this point, we were handed off to new york approach. I checked in at 8700 ft for 7000 ft just prior to sweet. The controller gave us a heading and we passed abeam sweet at 8600 ft and leveled at 7000 ft about 2 mi later. These events happened very quickly and I was so preoccupied with watching the aircraft and first officer that I did not have the opportunity to alert the controller that we might not make the sweet altitude restr. While I saw the situation develop in a timely manner and verbalized corrective action, I did not take positive control of the aircraft from the first officer. Reasons for this: 1) the first officer is very experienced and competent. 2) I have flown with him many times and am comfortable and confident in his ability. Also contributing to this it was the first officer's first trip after being off for 30 days so he was 'rusty.' in hindsight, I should have been more proactive about assuming control, but I didn't because I believed (because of my past experience with him) that he would get the job done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FAILS TO MAKE THEIR ALT XING RESTR AND EXCEED THE 250 KT RULE UNDER 10000 FT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CROSS SWEET INTXN NEAR EWR, NJ.

Narrative: ON WILLIAMSPORT ARR INTO EWR, WE WERE ASSIGNED 320 KTS AND LATER GIVEN A XING RESTR OF SWEET AT 7000 FT. ON DSCNT THROUGH 16000 FT, WE ENCOUNTERED BORDERLINE MODERATE TURB AND INFORMED ATC THAT DUE TO TURB WE HAD TO SLOW TO 280 KTS. HE SAID OK AND ASKED IF WE COULD STILL MAKE SWEET AT 7000 FT. I TOOK A QUICK LOOK AT OUR DISTANCE/ALT, SAW MY FO DEPLOYING THE SPD BRAKE, AND REPLIED YES. WE INITIALLY SLOWED TO 280 KTS, BUT MY FO, SEEING THAT WE WERE ABOVE THE DSCNT PROFILE FOR SWEET, INCREASED THE DSCNT RATE AND ALLOWED THE AIRSPD TO BUILD BACK UP TO 300 KTS. AT 11500 FT WITH ABOUT 4000 FPM RATE OF DSCNT, I CALLED OUT APCHING 10000 FT FOR SLOWING TO 250 KTS. THE FO DIDN'T PICK UP ON WHAT I SAID SO NOW AT 10500 FT WITH 300 KTS AND 4000 FPM RATE OF DSCNT, I SAID WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN. HE INITIATED THE SLOWDOWN WITH THE VERT SPD WHEEL AND I POINTED TO ALT HOLD, WHICH HE THEN PUSHED. WE FINALLY LEVELED AT 8700 FT AND SLOWED TO 250 KTS. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO NEW YORK APCH. I CHKED IN AT 8700 FT FOR 7000 FT JUST PRIOR TO SWEET. THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG AND WE PASSED ABEAM SWEET AT 8600 FT AND LEVELED AT 7000 FT ABOUT 2 MI LATER. THESE EVENTS HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY AND I WAS SO PREOCCUPIED WITH WATCHING THE ACFT AND FO THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALERT THE CTLR THAT WE MIGHT NOT MAKE THE SWEET ALT RESTR. WHILE I SAW THE SIT DEVELOP IN A TIMELY MANNER AND VERBALIZED CORRECTIVE ACTION, I DID NOT TAKE POSITIVE CTL OF THE ACFT FROM THE FO. REASONS FOR THIS: 1) THE FO IS VERY EXPERIENCED AND COMPETENT. 2) I HAVE FLOWN WITH HIM MANY TIMES AND AM COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT IN HIS ABILITY. ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THIS IT WAS THE FO'S FIRST TRIP AFTER BEING OFF FOR 30 DAYS SO HE WAS 'RUSTY.' IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROACTIVE ABOUT ASSUMING CTL, BUT I DIDN'T BECAUSE I BELIEVED (BECAUSE OF MY PAST EXPERIENCE WITH HIM) THAT HE WOULD GET THE JOB DONE.

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.