IN AN EFFORT TO SLOW THE ACFT FOR THE APCH; A CRJ900 FLT CREW ALLOWED THE SPEED TO BLEED OFF UNTIL THE AUTOPILOT DISENGAGED AND STICK SHAKER ACTIVATED.

Narrative

I WAS THE CAPT OF FLT TO ATL. THE PF WAS MY FO AND WE HAD AN FAA INSPECTOR RIDING ON THE JUMPSEAT. WE WERE APCHING ATL ON THE FLCON 3 ARR AND ANTICIPATING A VISUAL TO RWY 8L. SHORTLY AFTER WE WERE GIVEN A BASE TURN OFF THE ARR; WE WERE ALSO TOLD TO BEGIN SLOWING. AT THIS POINT; I LOOKED DOWN TO 'SEQUENCE' THE APCH IN THE FMS AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER HEARD THE AUTOPLT KICK OFF. I LOOKED UP AND WAS STARTLED TO SEE THE AIRSPD BLEEDING OFF TO AROUND 180 KTS. APPARENTLY; THE FO; IN AN EFFORT TO SLOW THE ACFT; HAD DEPLOYED THE SPOILERS AND HAD LET THE SPEED BLEED OFF TO THE POINT WHERE THE SHAKER WAS ACTIVATED AND THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND RECOVERED THE ACFT FROM THE SITUATION. I TOLD THE FO TO HANDLE THE RADIOS AND TO RESPOND TO ATC WHICH HAD CALLED US SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE EVENT. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 8L AND WE LANDED. FOLLOWING THE FLT; THE FAA INSPECTOR ASKED THE FO ABOUT HIS FLT TIME AND EXPERIENCE IN THE CRJ-900. THE FO INDICATED HE HAD ABOUT 1400 HRS BUT IT WAS MOSTLY IN HELIS. HIS TIME IN THE CRJ WAS ABOUT 300 HRS. I NEXT TALKED WITH THE INSPECTOR IN PRIVATE AND HE INDICATED HE THOUGHT I DID A NICE JOB. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE PROBS CREATED BY THE RECENT TREND OF HIRING LOW TIME PLTS TO FLY HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT LIKE THE CRJ.