Proficient Pilot: Shhhhh...
A sterile cockpit makes for a safer flight
The cockpit voice recorder recovered from the wreckage of the Boeing 727 revealed that there had been substantial extraneous conversation on the flight deck among the three crewmembers and a deadheading captain during those critical moments preceding the accident. Although there were other factors responsible for this loss of 144 lives (including seven on the ground), the National Transportation Safety Board concluded that distractions caused by nonessential cockpit conversation were a significant factor.
From this tragedy was born what is colloquially known as the “sterile cockpit rule.” Federal Aviation Regulation 121.542 makes it illegal for airline pilots to engage in nonessential conversation during critical phases of flight. These consist of all terminal operations: taxiing, takeoff, landing, and other flight operations conducted below 10,000 feet (except cruise flight).
Although this regulation was initially met with resistance, most airline pilots eventually conceded that a sterile cockpit makes for a safer flight. There are many who believe that a quiet cockpit during certain terminal operations could also benefit general aviation. No, they are not suggesting that FAA create another regulation. (Without cockpit voice recorders in light airplanes, it would be difficult to prove noncompliance.) Rather, it is suggested that GA pilots voluntarily apply a similar concept during high-workload operations.
Some years ago, for example, a pilot was executing an instrument approach to a Northern California airport at night in a nonradar environment. Weather at the time was a 500-foot overcast, visibility of 2 miles, and light rain. The airplane impacted a hill a mile left of the final approach course. An analysis of the communications recorded by ATC revealed the sound of passengers laughing and joking in the background as the pilot of the Piper Cherokee Six reported passing the “final approach fix inbound.” Was this accident the result of a cockpit contaminated with noise pollution? We shall never know positively, but there is a decent chance that conversational distraction was a significant factor.
We cannot know or even guess at the number of GA accidents in which nonessential cockpit conversations were contributing factors. It is reasonable to conclude that there have been some, and perhaps many.
Many stall/spin accidents are the result of pilots becoming distracted. For this reason, FAA-designated examiners are encouraged to be creative about distracting applicants while they are maneuvering at slow airspeed during flight tests. Many examiners have discovered that intrusive conversation can easily distract some pilots and precipitate an inadvertent event.
Could similar distractions cause pilots to miss critical transmissions from ATC? How many gear-up landings might have been the result of such distractions?
A pilot can prevent being distracted by passengers during critical phases of flight by briefing them before departure, saying something like, “Look, Joe [or Jane]. I’m going to be busy talking to air traffic controllers and attending to other critical chores during the first several minutes of flight, and it is important that I am not distracted at such times. So, I would appreciate your refraining from initiating conversation—unless you see something you think I would want to know about. I’ll let you know when we can begin chatting.”
Such a briefing should be conducted tactfully so as not to alarm a nervous passenger. Consider keeping her occupied with “traffic watch.” Ask her to silently point out nearby aircraft. Keeping passengers occupied helps to prevent them from interfering with critical duties.
A sterile cockpit is particularly important during instrument departures and arrivals, low visibility and special VFR conditions, night departures and arrivals, heavy traffic conditions, and so forth. The idea is to take command of and control your cockpit environment during all critical phases of flight. Some pilots advise their passengers that the intercom will be turned off until departure workload has been reduced. After all, it is important for a pilot to monitor and digest all communications, not just those intended for him. Conversations to and from other aircraft help to maintain situational awareness and better understand the conditions in which the pilot is operating. Most accidents occur during what are known as the “11 critical minutes of flight.” These are the first three minutes (beginning with the takeoff roll) and the last eight minutes (ending with completion of the landing roll).
One pilot I know takes advantage of the sterile cockpit concept to silence a loquacious mate—for the entire flight. It really works.
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