Narrative:

The transfer from toronto center to minneapolis center was missed or not given within our radio range or not given at all by toronto center. The captain remained busy writing critiques of previous legs for submission to the company and had been preoccupied and missed several other radio calls. I delayed leaving the cockpit as long as possible to allow him to finish his writing. Finally passing green bay I informed him I had to go aft and use the facilities prior to des. I was gone several mins since someone was using the lav. Upon my return he said all was the same. This captain was particularly autocratic and there had been quite a bit of tension in the cockpit. He had spent much of the trip doing the second officer's and my job. Finally passing judas I asked if we hadn't received des clearance. He said no. I persisted and asked if we shouldn't inquire with msp center. He finally acquiesced, only to find he had missed the center handoff. We finally re-established contact with msp center at bitlr (msp 086 degree radial approximately 38 DME) intersection. We were clrd to 7000' MSL from FL310 west/O further incident and landed normally but rushed. This incident clearly showed the lack of leadership by a captain can deteriorate a crew's performance. My company needs to establish a course for cockpit crews on resource management. This captain did everybody else's job including the F/a's and that affected the professionalism of the rest of the crew. We left him to flounder to avoid any further lectures instead of maintaining professional vigilance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISSED FREQ CHANGE AND WAS DELAYED IN BEGINNING DESCENT. NO CONFLICT.

Narrative: THE TRANSFER FROM TORONTO CENTER TO MINNEAPOLIS CENTER WAS MISSED OR NOT GIVEN WITHIN OUR RADIO RANGE OR NOT GIVEN AT ALL BY TORONTO CENTER. THE CAPT REMAINED BUSY WRITING CRITIQUES OF PREVIOUS LEGS FOR SUBMISSION TO THE COMPANY AND HAD BEEN PREOCCUPIED AND MISSED SEVERAL OTHER RADIO CALLS. I DELAYED LEAVING THE COCKPIT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE TO ALLOW HIM TO FINISH HIS WRITING. FINALLY PASSING GREEN BAY I INFORMED HIM I HAD TO GO AFT AND USE THE FACILITIES PRIOR TO DES. I WAS GONE SEVERAL MINS SINCE SOMEONE WAS USING THE LAV. UPON MY RETURN HE SAID ALL WAS THE SAME. THIS CAPT WAS PARTICULARLY AUTOCRATIC AND THERE HAD BEEN QUITE A BIT OF TENSION IN THE COCKPIT. HE HAD SPENT MUCH OF THE TRIP DOING THE S/O'S AND MY JOB. FINALLY PASSING JUDAS I ASKED IF WE HADN'T RECEIVED DES CLRNC. HE SAID NO. I PERSISTED AND ASKED IF WE SHOULDN'T INQUIRE WITH MSP CENTER. HE FINALLY ACQUIESCED, ONLY TO FIND HE HAD MISSED THE CENTER HANDOFF. WE FINALLY RE-ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH MSP CENTER AT BITLR (MSP 086 DEG RADIAL APPROX 38 DME) INTXN. WE WERE CLRD TO 7000' MSL FROM FL310 W/O FURTHER INCIDENT AND LANDED NORMALLY BUT RUSHED. THIS INCIDENT CLRLY SHOWED THE LACK OF LEADERSHIP BY A CAPT CAN DETERIORATE A CREW'S PERFORMANCE. MY COMPANY NEEDS TO ESTABLISH A COURSE FOR COCKPIT CREWS ON RESOURCE MGMNT. THIS CAPT DID EVERYBODY ELSE'S JOB INCLUDING THE F/A'S AND THAT AFFECTED THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE REST OF THE CREW. WE LEFT HIM TO FLOUNDER TO AVOID ANY FURTHER LECTURES INSTEAD OF MAINTAINING PROFESSIONAL VIGILANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.