Narrative:

Socal was busy and left us at 17000 ft MSL on the pdz.PDZ3 arrival into lax for runway 24R. We were not cleared to descend on the arrival, only to fly the arrival. My first officer was engaged in an ACARS message (heads down). I told socal that we could not make the mitts altitude restr (10000-11000 ft) from present position. Radio xmissions took up valuable time (closure rate). They questioned the fact that they did give us a clearance to descend. I said no. They said either 'do the best you can' or 'I'll give you a vector around to make your descent.' not wanting to lose time, I elected to do the 'best I could.' at 250 KIAS, I activated spoilers and called for gear down and started down. Upon passing 11000 ft for 10000 ft, I called for gear up and stowed speed brakes. (The first officer was back in the loop just before starting down.) at the sound of the gear coming up under duress, I realized I had exceeded the 220 KIAS gear retraction speed limitation. Not good. Especially since the placard for gear and flaps is posted to the right of the gear handle. Lesson learned: be more focused on passenger comfort instead of 'getting the job done.' (the nose low attitude of the aircraft was not conducive to passenger comfort.) had I taken the vector, I would not have lowered the gear 40+ mi from the lax airport just to pull it up again, and the limitation exceedance would not have happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 PLT USES LNDG GEAR AS A DRAG DEVICE DURING DSCNT. DURING RETRACTION, GEAR LIMIT FOR RETRACTION SPD WAS EXCEEDED.

Narrative: SOCAL WAS BUSY AND LEFT US AT 17000 FT MSL ON THE PDZ.PDZ3 ARR INTO LAX FOR RWY 24R. WE WERE NOT CLRED TO DSND ON THE ARR, ONLY TO FLY THE ARR. MY FO WAS ENGAGED IN AN ACARS MESSAGE (HEADS DOWN). I TOLD SOCAL THAT WE COULD NOT MAKE THE MITTS ALT RESTR (10000-11000 FT) FROM PRESENT POS. RADIO XMISSIONS TOOK UP VALUABLE TIME (CLOSURE RATE). THEY QUESTIONED THE FACT THAT THEY DID GIVE US A CLRNC TO DSND. I SAID NO. THEY SAID EITHER 'DO THE BEST YOU CAN' OR 'I'LL GIVE YOU A VECTOR AROUND TO MAKE YOUR DSCNT.' NOT WANTING TO LOSE TIME, I ELECTED TO DO THE 'BEST I COULD.' AT 250 KIAS, I ACTIVATED SPOILERS AND CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN AND STARTED DOWN. UPON PASSING 11000 FT FOR 10000 FT, I CALLED FOR GEAR UP AND STOWED SPD BRAKES. (THE FO WAS BACK IN THE LOOP JUST BEFORE STARTING DOWN.) AT THE SOUND OF THE GEAR COMING UP UNDER DURESS, I REALIZED I HAD EXCEEDED THE 220 KIAS GEAR RETRACTION SPD LIMITATION. NOT GOOD. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PLACARD FOR GEAR AND FLAPS IS POSTED TO THE R OF THE GEAR HANDLE. LESSON LEARNED: BE MORE FOCUSED ON PAX COMFORT INSTEAD OF 'GETTING THE JOB DONE.' (THE NOSE LOW ATTITUDE OF THE ACFT WAS NOT CONDUCIVE TO PAX COMFORT.) HAD I TAKEN THE VECTOR, I WOULD NOT HAVE LOWERED THE GEAR 40+ MI FROM THE LAX ARPT JUST TO PULL IT UP AGAIN, AND THE LIMITATION EXCEEDANCE WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

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.