Narrative:

This was the first day of a 3-DAY trip on the third leg of a 5-LEG day. The captain was the PF. We had been vectored off the fossl 6 arrival for WX into phx and had received clearance to deviate as necessary to avoid WX. We were level at FL240. I had gone off the center frequency to copy the ATIS for phx. While off the frequency, I noticed that the captain slowed to 250 KTS. I returned to the center frequency and the controller gave us a clearance to fly heading of 220 degrees to intercept the phx 044 degree radial and to cross 35 mi out at 12000 ft. The captain complied with the heading portion of the clearance and remained at FL240. It looked to me as if we were getting tight on the crossing restr so I queried the captain as to whether he copied the 35 mi out at 12000 ft. At the same time the center controller asked the same question and wanted to know if we were going to make the restr. I asked the captain if we were going to make the restr and got no verbal response, only a shrug of the shoulders implying yes. Based on my own mental computation for a 280 descent, we were going to be a little tight, but he had the speed brakes out, so I responded to the controller 'yes.' I then went back off the center frequency to make an in-range call. The company frequency was quite congested and this took some time. I was also computing performance data at this time. When I returned to the center frequency, the controller had just given us a frequency change to phx approach. I checked in with the current ATIS information level at 12000 ft. (We had an indicated airspeed of 320 KTS at this time.) the approach controller told us to slow to 250 KTS and descend to 8000 ft. I responded to the clearance. The controller then asked if center had given us a speed restr. I asked the captain if we had a speed restr. He gave no verbal response, only shrugged his shoulders to once again imply 'yes.' I responded to the approach controller 'yes.' the approach controller then said he needed the speed first then descend to 8000 ft and gave us a heading to parallel company traffic at 12 O'clock position and 3 mi already slowed at 8000 ft. We had apparently been given a speed restr of 250 KTS way out by the center controller when I went off the frequency to get ATIS. This information was not passed on to me when I came back on the frequency by the captain and at this time I still do not know if we actually had a speed restr because I could not get a true verbal response from the captain. The approach controller did not make a big deal about our speed but in light of the fact that we had apparently exceeded our assigned speed by 70 KTS, I feel it necessary to file this report. I have flown with this captain several times in the last 4 yrs and was well aware that he is a very quiet person. There was clearly a communication problem that extended well into the 3-DAY trip. I tried to open myself up to allow a proper line of communication to no avail. My big mistake on this leg of the trip was that I accepted a non verbal response from the captain to my and ATC questions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW HAS POOR COCKPIT RESOURCE UTILIZATION AND FAIL TO MEET THE XING AND SPD RESTR INBOUND TO PHX.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE FIRST DAY OF A 3-DAY TRIP ON THE THIRD LEG OF A 5-LEG DAY. THE CAPT WAS THE PF. WE HAD BEEN VECTORED OFF THE FOSSL 6 ARR FOR WX INTO PHX AND HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO DEVIATE AS NECESSARY TO AVOID WX. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL240. I HAD GONE OFF THE CTR FREQ TO COPY THE ATIS FOR PHX. WHILE OFF THE FREQ, I NOTICED THAT THE CAPT SLOWED TO 250 KTS. I RETURNED TO THE CTR FREQ AND THE CTLR GAVE US A CLRNC TO FLY HDG OF 220 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE PHX 044 DEG RADIAL AND TO CROSS 35 MI OUT AT 12000 FT. THE CAPT COMPLIED WITH THE HDG PORTION OF THE CLRNC AND REMAINED AT FL240. IT LOOKED TO ME AS IF WE WERE GETTING TIGHT ON THE XING RESTR SO I QUERIED THE CAPT AS TO WHETHER HE COPIED THE 35 MI OUT AT 12000 FT. AT THE SAME TIME THE CTR CTLR ASKED THE SAME QUESTION AND WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE RESTR. I ASKED THE CAPT IF WE WERE GOING TO MAKE THE RESTR AND GOT NO VERBAL RESPONSE, ONLY A SHRUG OF THE SHOULDERS IMPLYING YES. BASED ON MY OWN MENTAL COMPUTATION FOR A 280 DSCNT, WE WERE GOING TO BE A LITTLE TIGHT, BUT HE HAD THE SPD BRAKES OUT, SO I RESPONDED TO THE CTLR 'YES.' I THEN WENT BACK OFF THE CTR FREQ TO MAKE AN IN-RANGE CALL. THE COMPANY FREQ WAS QUITE CONGESTED AND THIS TOOK SOME TIME. I WAS ALSO COMPUTING PERFORMANCE DATA AT THIS TIME. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CTR FREQ, THE CTLR HAD JUST GIVEN US A FREQ CHANGE TO PHX APCH. I CHKED IN WITH THE CURRENT ATIS INFO LEVEL AT 12000 FT. (WE HAD AN INDICATED AIRSPD OF 320 KTS AT THIS TIME.) THE APCH CTLR TOLD US TO SLOW TO 250 KTS AND DSND TO 8000 FT. I RESPONDED TO THE CLRNC. THE CTLR THEN ASKED IF CTR HAD GIVEN US A SPD RESTR. I ASKED THE CAPT IF WE HAD A SPD RESTR. HE GAVE NO VERBAL RESPONSE, ONLY SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS TO ONCE AGAIN IMPLY 'YES.' I RESPONDED TO THE APCH CTLR 'YES.' THE APCH CTLR THEN SAID HE NEEDED THE SPD FIRST THEN DSND TO 8000 FT AND GAVE US A HDG TO PARALLEL COMPANY TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 3 MI ALREADY SLOWED AT 8000 FT. WE HAD APPARENTLY BEEN GIVEN A SPD RESTR OF 250 KTS WAY OUT BY THE CTR CTLR WHEN I WENT OFF THE FREQ TO GET ATIS. THIS INFO WAS NOT PASSED ON TO ME WHEN I CAME BACK ON THE FREQ BY THE CAPT AND AT THIS TIME I STILL DO NOT KNOW IF WE ACTUALLY HAD A SPD RESTR BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET A TRUE VERBAL RESPONSE FROM THE CAPT. THE APCH CTLR DID NOT MAKE A BIG DEAL ABOUT OUR SPD BUT IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE HAD APPARENTLY EXCEEDED OUR ASSIGNED SPD BY 70 KTS, I FEEL IT NECESSARY TO FILE THIS RPT. I HAVE FLOWN WITH THIS CAPT SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST 4 YRS AND WAS WELL AWARE THAT HE IS A VERY QUIET PERSON. THERE WAS CLRLY A COM PROB THAT EXTENDED WELL INTO THE 3-DAY TRIP. I TRIED TO OPEN MYSELF UP TO ALLOW A PROPER LINE OF COM TO NO AVAIL. MY BIG MISTAKE ON THIS LEG OF THE TRIP WAS THAT I ACCEPTED A NON VERBAL RESPONSE FROM THE CAPT TO MY AND ATC QUESTIONS.

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.