Narrative:

For 3 days, my first officer challenged everything I did. Fuel, radio frequencys, APU usage, and more. Most times, it would become more than a challenge. It would often be an affront to my authority/authorized as captain, as one explanation or request wasn't enough to satisfy him -- 2 or 3 times was more the norm. Issues that I explained to him on day #1, leg #1, were still being challenged on day #3. An incident at the end of day #3 was pure insubordination. He was flying and ATC had put us high and fast outside the marker before being cleared for a visual. It was obvious to me very quickly that my first officer was going to fly a straight line path to the end of the runway that would result in a high sink rate approach with engines less than normal power. In order to complete a safe approach and a stabilized approach that conforms to company policy, I requested he get on the GS soon, to which he replied 'no, I'm going to slow down first.' I quickly explained that would lead to less than stabilized approach and told him if he didn't get on the GS, I would. He tossed his head back, rolled his eyes, heaved a heavy sigh like he had been doing for 3 days to show me his disgust for my authority/authorized (like a reluctant child will often do) and finally complied. Checklists were completed and a normal approach ensued. On short final, approach called and reminded us to go to tower. We had not been cleared to land. The distraction of having to deal with an argumentative first officer on final had distraction me to where we missed the call to change frequencys. In any event, as captain, it is my responsibility to do that whether instructed to do so or not, and in that duty I failed. If it were not for the behavior of the first officer, however, I am quite sure I would not have made that mistake, as it was the closest I have come to landing without clearance in 28 yrs of flying, 19 yrs with the airlines. We swapped to tower, were cleared to land and did so in the touchdown zone and on speed and taxied to the gate. Before we could even complete the parking checklist, however, my first officer started to challenge me again, explaining why he was right and I was wrong. When I told him I was done arguing with him, he continued, at which point I got angry and he said he would remove himself from the trip. I told him it was his prerogative to do so and I wouldn't stop him. The next morning, he showed up for the trip home. I told him I would not fly home single pilot as that was unsafe and if he was to be part of my crew, I expected him to contribute fully as a professional crew member to which he replied he would. It was an uneventful, albeit quiet, trip home. His only reluctance to follow my request continued to be the logbook. Whenever I asked him to enter something in the logbook, he would, but always with non verbal protest.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH AN FO THAT WAS INSUBORDINATE AND ALMOST LWOC FROM SEA TWR.

Narrative: FOR 3 DAYS, MY FO CHALLENGED EVERYTHING I DID. FUEL, RADIO FREQS, APU USAGE, AND MORE. MOST TIMES, IT WOULD BECOME MORE THAN A CHALLENGE. IT WOULD OFTEN BE AN AFFRONT TO MY AUTH AS CAPT, AS ONE EXPLANATION OR REQUEST WASN'T ENOUGH TO SATISFY HIM -- 2 OR 3 TIMES WAS MORE THE NORM. ISSUES THAT I EXPLAINED TO HIM ON DAY #1, LEG #1, WERE STILL BEING CHALLENGED ON DAY #3. AN INCIDENT AT THE END OF DAY #3 WAS PURE INSUBORDINATION. HE WAS FLYING AND ATC HAD PUT US HIGH AND FAST OUTSIDE THE MARKER BEFORE BEING CLRED FOR A VISUAL. IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME VERY QUICKLY THAT MY FO WAS GOING TO FLY A STRAIGHT LINE PATH TO THE END OF THE RWY THAT WOULD RESULT IN A HIGH SINK RATE APCH WITH ENGS LESS THAN NORMAL PWR. IN ORDER TO COMPLETE A SAFE APCH AND A STABILIZED APCH THAT CONFORMS TO COMPANY POLICY, I REQUESTED HE GET ON THE GS SOON, TO WHICH HE REPLIED 'NO, I'M GOING TO SLOW DOWN FIRST.' I QUICKLY EXPLAINED THAT WOULD LEAD TO LESS THAN STABILIZED APCH AND TOLD HIM IF HE DIDN'T GET ON THE GS, I WOULD. HE TOSSED HIS HEAD BACK, ROLLED HIS EYES, HEAVED A HVY SIGH LIKE HE HAD BEEN DOING FOR 3 DAYS TO SHOW ME HIS DISGUST FOR MY AUTH (LIKE A RELUCTANT CHILD WILL OFTEN DO) AND FINALLY COMPLIED. CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED AND A NORMAL APCH ENSUED. ON SHORT FINAL, APCH CALLED AND REMINDED US TO GO TO TWR. WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO LAND. THE DISTR OF HAVING TO DEAL WITH AN ARGUMENTATIVE FO ON FINAL HAD DISTR ME TO WHERE WE MISSED THE CALL TO CHANGE FREQS. IN ANY EVENT, AS CAPT, IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THAT WHETHER INSTRUCTED TO DO SO OR NOT, AND IN THAT DUTY I FAILED. IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE BEHAVIOR OF THE FO, HOWEVER, I AM QUITE SURE I WOULD NOT HAVE MADE THAT MISTAKE, AS IT WAS THE CLOSEST I HAVE COME TO LWOC IN 28 YRS OF FLYING, 19 YRS WITH THE AIRLINES. WE SWAPPED TO TWR, WERE CLRED TO LAND AND DID SO IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE AND ON SPD AND TAXIED TO THE GATE. BEFORE WE COULD EVEN COMPLETE THE PARKING CHKLIST, HOWEVER, MY FO STARTED TO CHALLENGE ME AGAIN, EXPLAINING WHY HE WAS RIGHT AND I WAS WRONG. WHEN I TOLD HIM I WAS DONE ARGUING WITH HIM, HE CONTINUED, AT WHICH POINT I GOT ANGRY AND HE SAID HE WOULD REMOVE HIMSELF FROM THE TRIP. I TOLD HIM IT WAS HIS PREROGATIVE TO DO SO AND I WOULDN'T STOP HIM. THE NEXT MORNING, HE SHOWED UP FOR THE TRIP HOME. I TOLD HIM I WOULD NOT FLY HOME SINGLE PLT AS THAT WAS UNSAFE AND IF HE WAS TO BE PART OF MY CREW, I EXPECTED HIM TO CONTRIBUTE FULLY AS A PROFESSIONAL CREW MEMBER TO WHICH HE REPLIED HE WOULD. IT WAS AN UNEVENTFUL, ALBEIT QUIET, TRIP HOME. HIS ONLY RELUCTANCE TO FOLLOW MY REQUEST CONTINUED TO BE THE LOGBOOK. WHENEVER I ASKED HIM TO ENTER SOMETHING IN THE LOGBOOK, HE WOULD, BUT ALWAYS WITH NON VERBAL PROTEST.

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.