The Sterile Cockpit Rule is a Federal Aviation Administration regulation stating that during critical phases of flight, only activities required for the safe operation of the aircraft may be carried out, and all non-essential activities in the cockpit are forbidden. The FAA imposed the rule in 1981, 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 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 concluded that a probable cause of the accident was lack of altitude awareness due to distraction from idle chatter among the flight crew during the approach phase of the flight.
Historical background
In the early days of aviation, pilots had little chance to contemplate non-essential activities. Flying demanded constant attention, and the wind and engine noise in a slipstream-blasted open cockpit all but drowned out normal conversations. In the early years of instrument flying, the effort involved in "flying the beam" also forced pilots to concentrate on flying duties during instrument meteorological conditions. As aviation technology matured into the Jet Age in the 1960s, comfort and sound levels gradually became more office-like and hence more conducive to distractions. Multi-person flight and cabin crews, autopilots, in-flight meals, newspaper service and other comforts further increased the availability and convenience of non-flight related activities for flight crews during flight time. The introduction of the Cockpit Voice Recorder as an objective onboard observer played an important role in the assessment of the problem during accident investigation by the NTSB, and eventual implementation of the rules by the FAA.
Operating requirements
According to the Federal Aviation Regulations, the rule is legally applicable only to Part 121 and Part 135, and not to Part 91. It is specified in U.S. FAR 121.542/135.100, "Flight Crewmember Duties":
Because the Sterile Cockpit Rule applies to flight attendants as well as pilots, research has shown that the former may be reluctant to call the flight deck while the rule is in effect, even during emergencies. For example: The Federal Aviation Administration also noted that:
Many flight attendants do not have a clear understanding of what "sterile cockpit" means. Flight attendantsneed 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
Japan Airlines took this a step further, describing in a flight attendant training manual several situations that would warrant flight-attendant-to-pilot communication during take-off and landing. Such situations included:
