Narrative:

I was serving as PNF on a scheduled air carrier flight from hnl direct sea. The captain was flying his first trip following a simulator requalification. He had not flown a DC10 on the lone for over 6 months (he was coming off the B747). The captain wanted to fly the first leg. We were executing the olympia 2 arrival into seatac. Runway 34L/right were active. ZSE cleared us to cross olm VOR at 12000 ft. The STAR also mandates a crossing airspeed of 250 KTS. The captain started the descent at the proper location, but didn't pull #2 engine all the way back to idle. About 35 mi southwest of olm, we were descending through FL250. We were behind on the descent profile so I mentioned that we had a crossing restr of 12000 ft at olm. No response. As we descended through FL240, our DME from olm was 30 NM. I made a more forceful declaration of the crossing restr. No response from the captain. Rate of descent did not change. 20 mi from olm, I changed tactics and asked the captain if he thought he could make the 12000 ft crossing restr at olm. He said 'yes.' 15 mi from olm, ZSE called us and said 'looks like you are going to be high at olm, get your altitude first, then your airspeed. The captain finally admitted he had misjudged the descent profile. He proceeded to extend the speed brakes, disconnect the autoplt and push the nose over. We crossed olm descending through 12500 ft. This was a classic CRM scenario -- trying to balance timely backup with forceful intervention. As we all know. Pilots have fragile egos. This requires timely and diplomatic feedback. Personally, if I haven't flown a particular model of aircraft for a while, I always let the other pilot make the first takeoff and landing. This lets me get the visual picture and reprogram my brain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NEWLY SIMULATOR QUALIFIED CAPT IN A DC10 FAILED TO DSND IN A TIMELY MANNER IN ORDER TO MAKE A PROFILE DSCNT XING RESTR.

Narrative: I WAS SERVING AS PNF ON A SCHEDULED ACR FLT FROM HNL DIRECT SEA. THE CAPT WAS FLYING HIS FIRST TRIP FOLLOWING A SIMULATOR REQUALIFICATION. HE HAD NOT FLOWN A DC10 ON THE LONE FOR OVER 6 MONTHS (HE WAS COMING OFF THE B747). THE CAPT WANTED TO FLY THE FIRST LEG. WE WERE EXECUTING THE OLYMPIA 2 ARR INTO SEATAC. RWY 34L/R WERE ACTIVE. ZSE CLRED US TO CROSS OLM VOR AT 12000 FT. THE STAR ALSO MANDATES A XING AIRSPD OF 250 KTS. THE CAPT STARTED THE DSCNT AT THE PROPER LOCATION, BUT DIDN'T PULL #2 ENG ALL THE WAY BACK TO IDLE. ABOUT 35 MI SW OF OLM, WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH FL250. WE WERE BEHIND ON THE DSCNT PROFILE SO I MENTIONED THAT WE HAD A XING RESTR OF 12000 FT AT OLM. NO RESPONSE. AS WE DSNDED THROUGH FL240, OUR DME FROM OLM WAS 30 NM. I MADE A MORE FORCEFUL DECLARATION OF THE XING RESTR. NO RESPONSE FROM THE CAPT. RATE OF DSCNT DID NOT CHANGE. 20 MI FROM OLM, I CHANGED TACTICS AND ASKED THE CAPT IF HE THOUGHT HE COULD MAKE THE 12000 FT XING RESTR AT OLM. HE SAID 'YES.' 15 MI FROM OLM, ZSE CALLED US AND SAID 'LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE GOING TO BE HIGH AT OLM, GET YOUR ALT FIRST, THEN YOUR AIRSPD. THE CAPT FINALLY ADMITTED HE HAD MISJUDGED THE DSCNT PROFILE. HE PROCEEDED TO EXTEND THE SPD BRAKES, DISCONNECT THE AUTOPLT AND PUSH THE NOSE OVER. WE CROSSED OLM DSNDING THROUGH 12500 FT. THIS WAS A CLASSIC CRM SCENARIO -- TRYING TO BAL TIMELY BACKUP WITH FORCEFUL INTERVENTION. AS WE ALL KNOW. PLTS HAVE FRAGILE EGOS. THIS REQUIRES TIMELY AND DIPLOMATIC FEEDBACK. PERSONALLY, IF I HAVEN'T FLOWN A PARTICULAR MODEL OF ACFT FOR A WHILE, I ALWAYS LET THE OTHER PLT MAKE THE FIRST TKOF AND LNDG. THIS LETS ME GET THE VISUAL PICTURE AND REPROGRAM MY BRAIN.

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.