The Sterile Cockpit Rule is a regulation requiring pilots to refrain
from non-essential activities during critical phases of flight, normally below
10,000 feet. The FAA imposed the rule in 1981( and adopted by most regulatory
bodies) after reviewing a series of accidents that were caused by flight crews
who were distracted from their flying duties by engaging in non-essential
conversations and activities during critical parts of the flight. One such
notable accident was Eastern Air Lines Flight
212, which crashed just short of the runway at Charlotte/Douglas
International Airport in 1974 while conducting
an instrument approach in dense fog. The National
Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that a probable cause of the accident was distraction due to
idle chatter among the flight crew during the approach phase of the flight.
1.
No certificate holder shall
require, nor may any flight crewmember perform, any duties during a critical
phase of flight except those duties required for the safe operation of the
aircraft
2.
No flight crewmember may
engage in, nor may any pilot in command permit, any activity during a critical
phase of flight which could distract any flight crewmember from the performance
of his or her duties or which could interfere in any way with the proper
conduct of those duties.
For the purposes of this section, critical phases of flight includes all
ground operations involving taxi, takeoff and landing, and all other flight
operations conducted below 10,000 feet, except cruise flight.
How does a flight attendant
interpret the sterile period? Typically the Critical phases of flight to a flight attendant are
the take-off run, the take-off flight path, the final approach, the landing,
including the landing roll, and any other phases of flight at the discretion of
the commander.
In the absence of cockpit displays
she needs to be given guidelines based on discernible signals initiated from
the cockpit to distinguish between sterile, no contact and periods of normal
communication protocol. Distractions caused by flight attendants visiting
the cockpit or calling on the interphone were noted in a number of accidents as contributory
causes. Many airlines have strict enforcement policies of this
sterile cockpit rule especially with respect to communication being initiated
by cabin crews during sterile and no contact periods.
On July 9th, 1995 an ATR aft passenger
door separated after take-off at an altitude of 600 feet (NTSB, 1995b). The
flight attendant at the door stated that she did not think of calling the
cockpit when she heard the sound of the door leak before it separated, because
the aircraft was under sterile cockpit conditions. When queried as to what
conditions she would call the cockpit when sterile, she responded that she
would in case of fire or a problem passenger. Confusion over and rigid
interpretation of the sterile cockpit rule is not unusual as our studies have shown.
A study by FAA observed that many
flight attendants do not have a clear understanding of what "sterile
cockpit" means. Flight attendants need to be given specific information
about what type of information merits contacting flight crewmembers during the
sterile period. Hesitancy or reluctance on the part of a flight attendant to
contact the flight crewmembers with important safety information because of a
misconception of the sterile cockpit rule is potentially even more serious than
the unnecessary distraction caused by needless violations of the sterile
cockpit.
It would be desirable for airlines to
discuss specific case scenarios during periodic refresher training and lay down
guidelines on what to say, when to say and how to say.
