A DC9 FLC IS UNSURE AS TO WHETHER THEY DEVIATED FROM ATC SPD RESTR OR WHETHER THE CTLR; WHO WAS OVERLOADED; SIMPLY MISSPOKE. ATL; GA.

Narrative

CLRED FOR THE ILS RWY 9R; WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT UNTIL TIZZY (10.7 DME OUT) AND; WE THOUGHT; A SPD OF 170 KTS TO TIZZY. I WAS WATCHING THE TCASII AND COULD SEE SPACING ON FINAL WAS CRITICAL. PASSING TIZZY; THE CAPT BEGAN CALLING FOR CONFIGURING THE ACFT. BY THE TIME WE WERE NEARING BURNY (6.4 DME OUT); WE WERE FULLY CONFIGURED. TWR CALLED AND ASKED OUR CURRENT SPD. I REPLIED '130 KTS.' TWR ASKED 'IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE ASSIGNED?' I REPLIED 'WE WERE ASSIGNED 170 TO TIZZY.' TWR SAID 'THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. I NEED YOU TO PICK IT BACK UP.' WE INCREASED TO 170 KTS FOR APPROX 1 MIN; THEN TWR TOLD US WE COULD SLOW AGAIN. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE WE WERE PROBABLY ASSIGNED 170 KTS TO BURNY; AND EITHER MISHEARD; OR THE CTLR MISSPOKE. THIS IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT WHEN BEING CLRED FOR AN INST APCH; THE CTLRS USUALLY ISSUE 3 OR 4 SIMULTANEOUS COMMANDS; WHEN IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT MORE THAN 2 CONCURRENT INSTRUCTIONS LEAD TO ERRORS IN COM. OUR NORMAL DC9'S HAVE 40 DEG LNDG FLAPS. THIS PARTICULAR ONE HAD 50 DEGS; WHICH MAKES IT SLOW MUCH MORE RAPIDLY. CAPT DIDN'T SEEM AWARE OF SPACING ISSUE. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED HIS CONFIGURING THE ACFT WHEN HE DID. OUR TRAINING PROGRAM FOR AN AUTOPLT-COUPLED APCH (WHICH THIS WAS) CALLS FOR CONFIGURING RATHER EARLY IN THE APCH. THIS IS FINE IN THE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT; BUT IS ACTUALLY BAD PRACTICE IN THE ENVIRONMENT WE NORMALLY OPERATE IN (ATLANTA); WHERE SPD AND SPACING ARE SO CRITICAL.