SPD DEV WHEN A CPR FO TRAINEE MISUNDERSTOOD THE 250 KT RESTRS BELOW 10000 FT AS OFFERED BY ATC NEAR DEALE INTXN.

Narrative

PRIOR CTLR REQUESTED 300 KTS OR GREATER AND CLRED US DIRECT DEALE INTXN WHILE ON THE NOTTINGHAM 5 STAR AT 13000 FT. NEXT CTLR GAVE US A XING RESTR OF 9000 FT OVER OTT VOR. PNF TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT WE WERE NOT CLRED TO OTT (THE CTLR SEEMED OVERLOADED; POSSIBLE TRAINEE). THE CTLR SAID THAT THEY NEEDED US TO DSND TO 9000 FT AND THAT WE WERE CLRED TO DEALE INTXN. THE CTLR THEN CAME BACK WITH A FURTHER DSCNT TO 7000 FT. AS WE PASSED 9000 FT; THE CTLR ASKED US OUR SPD. WE REPLIED 340 KTS. A SECOND CTLR (POSSIBLE SUPVR) THEN ASKED US TO SLOW TO 250 KTS AS WE HAD TFC 7 MI AHEAD. I PROMPTLY SLOWED THE ACFT TO 250 KTS AND CONTINUED THE DSCNT TO 7000 FT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: CONGESTED FREQ. UNABLE TO CONFIRM XING RESTR/CLRNC. HIGH WORKLOAD FOR CTLR/UNCERTAIN OF OUR CLRED FIX. ACFT CREW UNDERGOING IOE TRAINING. IT SEEMED THAT THE CTLR WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH GETTING US DOWN (LOWER) RATHER THAN SLOWING US DOWN FIRST. THE PRIOR CTLR WANTED MORE SPD BUT ALLOWED US A NON STANDARD ALT (13000 FT) TO TOP WX THEN CLRED US TO A POINT (DEALE INTXN) IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FURTHER SPACING. AFTER BEING CLRED DIRECT DEALE; WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 300 KTS OR GREATER. THE SUBSEQUENT CTLR ONLY SEEMED INTERESTED IN A LOWER ALT. DURING THIS TIME THE PNF WAS ENGAGED IN OBTAINING ATIS AND SETTING UP THE APCH; THEREFORE; WAS NOT ABLE TO MONITOR PF DURING THE DSCNT THROUGH 10000 FT.