B737-300 crew exceeded 250 KTS below 10000 ft in den class B airspace.

Attributes
ACN	534799
Time
Date	200201
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : d01.tracon
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d01.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : tomsn
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4500
ASRS Report	534799
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time total : 3700
ASRS Report	534402
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : airspeed indicator other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Speed above 250 KTS below 10000 ft. Very quiet day coming into denver. No other traffic in front of us on arrival or behind us. Flying to msn arrival no speed restr given. I was PF. Was given a descent below 10000 ft and failed to slow to 250 KTS. First officer didn't catch it and neither did den arrival. I caught it when about 12 mi from FAF runway 16R at approximately 8000 ft. Human factors: I kept wondering when den would give us a speed restr. For some reason that stuck in my mind -- not the descent below 10000 ft. I also concentrated on maintaining a glide path to FAF so when I was given a restr I would make an SOP approach. When I did realize the mistake I slowed and made stabilized approach. At that point I pointed out to first officer my excess airspeed below 10000 ft and said we would talk about it on the ground. Approach was completely stabilized. I take great pride in flying by the book and this is a mistake I have never made in 20 yrs of flying. On a clear day, I was fixated on glide path to the FAF and waiting for approach to slow me. This showed me that at any point a pilot can become fixated on one item to the detriment of other supplemental information from acn 534402: on the tomsn arrival into denver, no traffic in front of us. We weren't given speed restr. #1 for a visual approach, runway 16. We were given a descent to 8000 ft. Captain realized we were below 10000 ft and had failed to slow to 250 KTS. We immediately slowed and made a normal, stabilized approach. Both the captain and I failed to realize the mistake until below 10000 ft. I believe contributing factors on my part may be the fact that I came from an airplane (BE1900) in which the 10000 ft/250 KT far was never a consideration as we were always slower than 250 KTS. Also, I was thinking the captain was going to keep his speed up to fly the most efficient approach possible, but not realizing we were already below 10000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW EXCEEDED 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT IN DEN CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: SPD ABOVE 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT. VERY QUIET DAY COMING INTO DENVER. NO OTHER TFC IN FRONT OF US ON ARR OR BEHIND US. FLYING TO MSN ARR NO SPD RESTR GIVEN. I WAS PF. WAS GIVEN A DSCNT BELOW 10000 FT AND FAILED TO SLOW TO 250 KTS. FO DIDN'T CATCH IT AND NEITHER DID DEN ARR. I CAUGHT IT WHEN ABOUT 12 MI FROM FAF RWY 16R AT APPROX 8000 FT. HUMAN FACTORS: I KEPT WONDERING WHEN DEN WOULD GIVE US A SPD RESTR. FOR SOME REASON THAT STUCK IN MY MIND -- NOT THE DSCNT BELOW 10000 FT. I ALSO CONCENTRATED ON MAINTAINING A GLIDE PATH TO FAF SO WHEN I WAS GIVEN A RESTR I WOULD MAKE AN SOP APCH. WHEN I DID REALIZE THE MISTAKE I SLOWED AND MADE STABILIZED APCH. AT THAT POINT I POINTED OUT TO FO MY EXCESS AIRSPD BELOW 10000 FT AND SAID WE WOULD TALK ABOUT IT ON THE GND. APCH WAS COMPLETELY STABILIZED. I TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN FLYING BY THE BOOK AND THIS IS A MISTAKE I HAVE NEVER MADE IN 20 YRS OF FLYING. ON A CLR DAY, I WAS FIXATED ON GLIDE PATH TO THE FAF AND WAITING FOR APCH TO SLOW ME. THIS SHOWED ME THAT AT ANY POINT A PLT CAN BECOME FIXATED ON ONE ITEM TO THE DETRIMENT OF OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 534402: ON THE TOMSN ARR INTO DENVER, NO TFC IN FRONT OF US. WE WEREN'T GIVEN SPD RESTR. #1 FOR A VISUAL APCH, RWY 16. WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT TO 8000 FT. CAPT REALIZED WE WERE BELOW 10000 FT AND HAD FAILED TO SLOW TO 250 KTS. WE IMMEDIATELY SLOWED AND MADE A NORMAL, STABILIZED APCH. BOTH THE CAPT AND I FAILED TO REALIZE THE MISTAKE UNTIL BELOW 10000 FT. I BELIEVE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ON MY PART MAY BE THE FACT THAT I CAME FROM AN AIRPLANE (BE1900) IN WHICH THE 10000 FT/250 KT FAR WAS NEVER A CONSIDERATION AS WE WERE ALWAYS SLOWER THAN 250 KTS. ALSO, I WAS THINKING THE CAPT WAS GOING TO KEEP HIS SPD UP TO FLY THE MOST EFFICIENT APCH POSSIBLE, BUT NOT REALIZING WE WERE ALREADY BELOW 10000 FT.

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.