AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2020 - 22

PROFICIENT PILOT

Shhhhh...

BY BARRY SCHIFF

A sterile cockpit makes for a safer flight

BARRY SCHIFF

was a TWA pilot for
34 years and flew
almost everything
from the Lockheed
Constellation to the
Boeing 747.

ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1978, Pacific Southwest Airlines
Flight 182 was on a visual approach to San Diego's
Lindbergh Field when it collided with a Cessna 172. 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.

22 | AOPA PILOT November 2020

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 gearup 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.
AOPA
barryschiff.com

http://www.barryschiff.com

AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2020