Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Deviation - Speed All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Inflight Event / Encounter Wake Vortex Encounter
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related
We were inbound to IAH on the Rice 3 arrival; as filed; and were assigned to cross RIICE at 12;000 FT MSL; to cancel the speed restriction of 250 KTS at BRKMN; and keep our speed up. Shortly after; we were assigned to cross LYTE at 7;000 FT MSL. Right about the time I normally would have slowed to 250 KTS we experienced wake turbulence from the aircraft ahead of us. It wasn't severe; but it was enough that my First Officer and I were discussing it. ATC asked us to slow to 250 KTS and I realized that we were at 9;000 FT MSL and 320 KTS. We immediately arrested our descent and used spoilers to slow to our assigned speed. There were no traffic or separation issues associated with the deviation and no further issues with the flight. Neither one of us realized the mistake until ATC asked us to slow. This case could have been avoided by proper CRM and better communication. Had I verbalized that even though Approach wanted us to keep our speed up we still needed to slow to 250 KTS below 10;000 FT MSL; we would have been more attentive and less likely to forget to slow.
[Narrative 2 had no additional information]
A CRJ-200 flight crew reported becoming distracted by a wake vortex encounter that led to a speed over 250 KTS below 10;000 FT.