Narrative:

I was flying with an extremely friendly but slightly nonstandard captain. He just doesn't adhere to some of our company approach profiles. I had been giving him subtle hints about 'fixing' some of his procedures on previous legs. On one leg; we were having a discussion on the details of our aircraft's landing gear warning system. He thought that the gear horn would sound when the radar altimeter indicated 1000 ft AGL. I didn't think it did. We continued talking about other subjects such as WX and the like. We started our descent and approach. On final; I felt like we were getting a little too low not to be configured (even for the nonstandard captain). I put my hand on the gear handle as a 'subtle hint.' I looked over at the captain and saw that he was intently watching the radar altimeter! I suddenly realized that he was trying to see if his theory on the gear horn was right! I said something indicating that we need to configure fast; and we dropped the gear and put in flaps. The rest of the landing was fairly normal except for my blood pressure! As we taxied clear of the runway; I told him that I didn't know or think that he was going to become a test pilot from our discussion. Furthermore; the flight attendants said they didn't have time to situation down before we landed! I think one of the more disturbing elements of this situation was the breakdown of CRM. I am the first officer; the captain is 25+ yrs my senior and he is a very likable guy. I felt as if speaking up would ruin the great 'atmosphere' in the flight deck. I had numerous opportunities to call for a missed approach (go around) since we weren't configured at the proper time. I felt just awful when the flight attendants told us that they didn't have time to situation down. I should've spoken up. I kicked myself that entire night and spoke up quite a bit more the rest of the trip. Sitting through CRM courses in a classroom doesn't hold a candle to actually facing a situation requiring the proper action when there are numerous outside pressures. Took a good look at myself after this trip and I know that I will not be so 'subtle' in the future. Oh; just in case you're curious; the gear horn doesn't sound at 1000 ft AGL on the radar altimeter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DHC8 FO RELATES DIFFICULTY IN ADDRESSING SOP AND CRM ISSUES WITH A CAPT WHOSE FLYING TECHNIQUES ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH COMPANY POLICY. RESULTS IN CONFIGURING ACFT LATE ON FINAL.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING WITH AN EXTREMELY FRIENDLY BUT SLIGHTLY NONSTANDARD CAPT. HE JUST DOESN'T ADHERE TO SOME OF OUR COMPANY APCH PROFILES. I HAD BEEN GIVING HIM SUBTLE HINTS ABOUT 'FIXING' SOME OF HIS PROCS ON PREVIOUS LEGS. ON ONE LEG; WE WERE HAVING A DISCUSSION ON THE DETAILS OF OUR ACFT'S LNDG GEAR WARNING SYS. HE THOUGHT THAT THE GEAR HORN WOULD SOUND WHEN THE RADAR ALTIMETER INDICATED 1000 FT AGL. I DIDN'T THINK IT DID. WE CONTINUED TALKING ABOUT OTHER SUBJECTS SUCH AS WX AND THE LIKE. WE STARTED OUR DSCNT AND APCH. ON FINAL; I FELT LIKE WE WERE GETTING A LITTLE TOO LOW NOT TO BE CONFIGURED (EVEN FOR THE NONSTANDARD CAPT). I PUT MY HAND ON THE GEAR HANDLE AS A 'SUBTLE HINT.' I LOOKED OVER AT THE CAPT AND SAW THAT HE WAS INTENTLY WATCHING THE RADAR ALTIMETER! I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO SEE IF HIS THEORY ON THE GEAR HORN WAS RIGHT! I SAID SOMETHING INDICATING THAT WE NEED TO CONFIGURE FAST; AND WE DROPPED THE GEAR AND PUT IN FLAPS. THE REST OF THE LNDG WAS FAIRLY NORMAL EXCEPT FOR MY BLOOD PRESSURE! AS WE TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY; I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T KNOW OR THINK THAT HE WAS GOING TO BECOME A TEST PLT FROM OUR DISCUSSION. FURTHERMORE; THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO SIT DOWN BEFORE WE LANDED! I THINK ONE OF THE MORE DISTURBING ELEMENTS OF THIS SITUATION WAS THE BREAKDOWN OF CRM. I AM THE FO; THE CAPT IS 25+ YRS MY SENIOR AND HE IS A VERY LIKABLE GUY. I FELT AS IF SPEAKING UP WOULD RUIN THE GREAT 'ATMOSPHERE' IN THE FLT DECK. I HAD NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES TO CALL FOR A MISSED APCH (GAR) SINCE WE WEREN'T CONFIGURED AT THE PROPER TIME. I FELT JUST AWFUL WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS TOLD US THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO SIT DOWN. I SHOULD'VE SPOKEN UP. I KICKED MYSELF THAT ENTIRE NIGHT AND SPOKE UP QUITE A BIT MORE THE REST OF THE TRIP. SITTING THROUGH CRM COURSES IN A CLASSROOM DOESN'T HOLD A CANDLE TO ACTUALLY FACING A SITUATION REQUIRING THE PROPER ACTION WHEN THERE ARE NUMEROUS OUTSIDE PRESSURES. TOOK A GOOD LOOK AT MYSELF AFTER THIS TRIP AND I KNOW THAT I WILL NOT BE SO 'SUBTLE' IN THE FUTURE. OH; JUST IN CASE YOU'RE CURIOUS; THE GEAR HORN DOESN'T SOUND AT 1000 FT AGL ON THE RADAR ALTIMETER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.