DHC8 FO RELATES DIFFICULTY IN ADDRESSING SOP AND CRM ISSUES WITH A CAPT WHOSE FLYING TECHNIQUES ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH COMPANY POLICY. RESULTS IN CONFIGURING ACFT LATE ON FINAL.
Synopsis
DHC8 FO RELATES DIFFICULTY IN ADDRESSING SOP AND CRM ISSUES WITH A CAPT WHOSE FLYING TECHNIQUES ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH COMPANY POLICY. RESULTS IN CONFIGURING ACFT LATE ON FINAL.
Narrative
I WAS FLYING WITH AN EXTREMELY FRIENDLY BUT SLIGHTLY NONSTANDARD CAPT. HE JUST DOESN'T ADHERE TO SOME OF OUR COMPANY APCH PROFILES. I HAD BEEN GIVING HIM SUBTLE HINTS ABOUT 'FIXING' SOME OF HIS PROCS ON PREVIOUS LEGS. ON ONE LEG; WE WERE HAVING A DISCUSSION ON THE DETAILS OF OUR ACFT'S LNDG GEAR WARNING SYS. HE THOUGHT THAT THE GEAR HORN WOULD SOUND WHEN THE RADAR ALTIMETER INDICATED 1000 FT AGL. I DIDN'T THINK IT DID. WE CONTINUED TALKING ABOUT OTHER SUBJECTS SUCH AS WX AND THE LIKE. WE STARTED OUR DSCNT AND APCH. ON FINAL; I FELT LIKE WE WERE GETTING A LITTLE TOO LOW NOT TO BE CONFIGURED (EVEN FOR THE NONSTANDARD CAPT). I PUT MY HAND ON THE GEAR HANDLE AS A 'SUBTLE HINT.' I LOOKED OVER AT THE CAPT AND SAW THAT HE WAS INTENTLY WATCHING THE RADAR ALTIMETER! I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO SEE IF HIS THEORY ON THE GEAR HORN WAS RIGHT! I SAID SOMETHING INDICATING THAT WE NEED TO CONFIGURE FAST; AND WE DROPPED THE GEAR AND PUT IN FLAPS. THE REST OF THE LNDG WAS FAIRLY NORMAL EXCEPT FOR MY BLOOD PRESSURE! AS WE TAXIED CLR OF THE RWY; I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T KNOW OR THINK THAT HE WAS GOING TO BECOME A TEST PLT FROM OUR DISCUSSION. FURTHERMORE; THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO SIT DOWN BEFORE WE LANDED! I THINK ONE OF THE MORE DISTURBING ELEMENTS OF THIS SITUATION WAS THE BREAKDOWN OF CRM. I AM THE FO; THE CAPT IS 25+ YRS MY SENIOR AND HE IS A VERY LIKABLE GUY. I FELT AS IF SPEAKING UP WOULD RUIN THE GREAT 'ATMOSPHERE' IN THE FLT DECK. I HAD NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES TO CALL FOR A MISSED APCH (GAR) SINCE WE WEREN'T CONFIGURED AT THE PROPER TIME. I FELT JUST AWFUL WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANTS TOLD US THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO SIT DOWN. I SHOULD'VE SPOKEN UP. I KICKED MYSELF THAT ENTIRE NIGHT AND SPOKE UP QUITE A BIT MORE THE REST OF THE TRIP. SITTING THROUGH CRM COURSES IN A CLASSROOM DOESN'T HOLD A CANDLE TO ACTUALLY FACING A SITUATION REQUIRING THE PROPER ACTION WHEN THERE ARE NUMEROUS OUTSIDE PRESSURES. TOOK A GOOD LOOK AT MYSELF AFTER THIS TRIP AND I KNOW THAT I WILL NOT BE SO 'SUBTLE' IN THE FUTURE. OH; JUST IN CASE YOU'RE CURIOUS; THE GEAR HORN DOESN'T SOUND AT 1000 FT AGL ON THE RADAR ALTIMETER.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.