FLC OF MLG DURING DSCNT EXCEEDS SPD BELOW 10000 FT. APCH CTLR CATCHES THE ERROR JUST AS FLC DOES.

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WE RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM 11000 FT TO 8000 FT ON DSCNT INTO ORD. I SET 8000 FT INTO THE MCP WINDOW; SAID '8000 FT' AND POINTED PER SOP. CAPT POINTED; SAID 8000 FT. CAPT BEGAN DSCNT. RADIO XMISSIONS INDICATED POSSIBLE RWY CHANGE; SO I REACHED DOWN INTO MY FLT BAG TO GET NEW PLATES; ETC. WHEN I LOOKED UP; WE WERE DSNDING THROUGH 9000 FT AT A SPD GREATER THAN 250 KTS. AT THE SAME TIME; THE CTLR TOLD US TO STOP DSCNT UNTIL WE HAD SLOWED TO 250 KTS. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND CAPT COMPLIED. CTLR AGAIN REPEATED INSTRUCTIONS. I CONFIRMED LEVEL AND SLOWING. I'VE ASKED SEVERAL PLTS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS PROB; AS I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN AS AN OMC AND CAUGHT MYSELF AND OTHERS AS IT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. OTHERS AGREED THAT IT IS A PROB BUT DON'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT 'SOUNDS STUPID.' I BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE 2 CAUSES: 1) FATIGUE. THIS WAS THE THIRD DAY OF A 3-DAY TRIP WITH WAKE-UP TIMES AT XA15; XB15; AND XA30. THIS WAS NOT AS MUCH OF A PROB ON MY PREVIOUS FLEET; BUT IN THIS FLEET/DOMICILE MOST TRIPS ARE VERY EARLY. IN PREVIOUS FLEET; TIMES WERE MIXED OR POSSIBLE TO BID LATER TRIPS. 2) I THINK THAT SOP PUTS A GREAT DEAL OF FOCUS ON ALT; WITH POINTING; CALLOUTS; ETC; WHICH IN MOST CASES IS GOOD; BUT IN THIS CASE DISTR FROM THINKING ABOUT AIRSPD REDUCTION. FOCUS IS ON GETTING TO 8000 FT; NOT 250 KTS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROB PARTICULARLY FOR FORMER PLTS OF COMMUTER AND OTHER ACFT WHICH DON'T REACH 250 KTS AND SO DON'T REQUIRE SLOWING AT 10000 FT. ALSO; IT'S A BUSY TIME WHERE THE PNF IS APT TO BE DISTR BY OTHER; NECESSARY ACTIVITIES. SOLUTIONS: 2 LEGS LATER; WE FLEW THE SAME RTE AGAIN. IT WAS MY LEG. THIS TIME; THE CTLR SAID; 'AFTER SLOWING TO 250 KTS; DSND TO 8000 FT.' THE CAPT SAID THAT HE WISHED ATC HAD USED THOSE WORDS FOR HIM; HE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE PROB. ALSO; IF WE POINT AND REPEAT ALTS; MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE SOME REINFORCEMENT SOP FOR A REMINDER ABOUT AIRSPD WHEN GOING BELOW 10000 FT. OR; BETTER YET; A 10000 FT BUZZER OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM THE REGULAR ALT WARNING SOUND. FOR ME; THE ALT CALLOUTS ARE LESS NEEDED THAN THE 250 KT REMINDER. EVEN SO; IF I COULD HAVE ONLY ONE; I'D TAKE THE 250 KT REMINDER. ALSO; MORE CONSIDERATION ABOUT FATIGUE AND SCHEDULING.