Narrative:

This event occurred by my distracting the first officer from his tasks as the PF. I also distraction myself from my supervisory PNF duties. We were climbing through FL340 to our cleared altitude of FL360. I; the captain; was the PNF. I was instructing my first officer on WX radar tilt management techniques. Through my distrs we both failed to notice that our airspeed was decreasing to a very low value. I caught the error as the pitch-limit indicator came into the attitude indicator. I called out that our airspeed was very low. After a moment of further evaluation; I took control of the aircraft by disconnecting the autoplt and reducing the pitch attitude with the yoke. While maintaining level flight; so as to recover energy; the stall warning system was triggered in 2 very short warnings. Altitude was maintained and a climb quickly resumed. The aircraft was continually under control and there was no stick pusher activation. I determined that we were operating at a very slow airspeed through an instrument scan. The subsequent activation of the stall warning system was a confirmation of the event. Upon completion of the low speed recovery we continued our climb to our assigned altitude of FL360. I reassigned to my first officer the PF duties. Through self evaluation and chastisement; I am resolved to exercise tighter cockpit discipline and thus minimize distrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 FLT CREW LOSES TRACK OF AIRSPEED WHILE CLIMBING IN VERTICAL SPEED MODE AND DISCUSSING ACFT EQUIPMENT. THE ACFT COMES CLOSE TO STALL SPEED BEFORE THE FLT CREW REACTS.

Narrative: THIS EVENT OCCURRED BY MY DISTRACTING THE FO FROM HIS TASKS AS THE PF. I ALSO DISTR MYSELF FROM MY SUPERVISORY PNF DUTIES. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH FL340 TO OUR CLRED ALT OF FL360. I; THE CAPT; WAS THE PNF. I WAS INSTRUCTING MY FO ON WX RADAR TILT MGMNT TECHNIQUES. THROUGH MY DISTRS WE BOTH FAILED TO NOTICE THAT OUR AIRSPD WAS DECREASING TO A VERY LOW VALUE. I CAUGHT THE ERROR AS THE PITCH-LIMIT INDICATOR CAME INTO THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR. I CALLED OUT THAT OUR AIRSPD WAS VERY LOW. AFTER A MOMENT OF FURTHER EVALUATION; I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT BY DISCONNECTING THE AUTOPLT AND REDUCING THE PITCH ATTITUDE WITH THE YOKE. WHILE MAINTAINING LEVEL FLT; SO AS TO RECOVER ENERGY; THE STALL WARNING SYS WAS TRIGGERED IN 2 VERY SHORT WARNINGS. ALT WAS MAINTAINED AND A CLB QUICKLY RESUMED. THE ACFT WAS CONTINUALLY UNDER CTL AND THERE WAS NO STICK PUSHER ACTIVATION. I DETERMINED THAT WE WERE OPERATING AT A VERY SLOW AIRSPD THROUGH AN INST SCAN. THE SUBSEQUENT ACTIVATION OF THE STALL WARNING SYS WAS A CONFIRMATION OF THE EVENT. UPON COMPLETION OF THE LOW SPD RECOVERY WE CONTINUED OUR CLB TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF FL360. I REASSIGNED TO MY FO THE PF DUTIES. THROUGH SELF EVALUATION AND CHASTISEMENT; I AM RESOLVED TO EXERCISE TIGHTER COCKPIT DISCIPLINE AND THUS MINIMIZE DISTRS.

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.