Narrative:

Jun/wed/89 for the people working at air carrier X airlines, was an especially emotionally charged day, as it was the last day of operation of the air carrier X airline shuttle, before its transfer to new owner. My crew and I, along with other crews were operating the last of the company shuttles and spirits were pretty low. As a gesture of gratitude and good will to the people who for many years have worked the shuttle, the idea was conceived for flts to fly an 'air carrier X will survive' flap on gate arrivals. In boston, after clearing all runways, txwys, and xings and upon entering the company ramp area, the copilot simply opened his window and flew the flag. His duties were not interfered with since his only job at that point was to watch outside the window. All checklists and communications had been accomplished. The flag did not interfere with vision and we were all 'heads-up' looking out as normal. The flag was secured, inside so as not to come loose. We were the only thing moving on the ramp. There was no incident, accident, mishap, or whatever, but I guess in retrospect, we should probably have parked and then displayed the flag. I see no danger in what we did, but after further thought we refrained from any other flag display. Instead, we used our flag for people to autograph at the end of the day. Supplemental information from acn 113077: I feel that all pilots would benefit from our experience. Over the last month, our radio xmissions have been purposely blocked (by either striking association members or association members of other airlines), and we have been repeatedly given the 'finger' by capts of other airlines while their aircraft was under power and moving. Perhaps looking at these actions in the context of being violations of the sterile cockpit may prevent a serious breach of safety which could very well endanger the traveling public. Although association intentions were not intended as constructive, I have learned from the incident. There is far more to the 'sterile cockpit' than simply locking the door and confining flight deck activities to only operational issues. A sterile cockpit is an attitude as well that demands the highest levels of discipline, concentration, and professionalism.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW TAXIING TO GATE WERE ACCUSED OF VIOLATING THE STERILE COCKPIT CONCEPT WHEN THEY DISPLAYED A FLAG OUT THE COCKPIT WINDOW INTENDED TO GIVE SUPPORT TO GND EMPLOYEES WHO WERE BEING LAYED OFF BY NEW OWNER OF THE AIRLINE.

Narrative: JUN/WED/89 FOR THE PEOPLE WORKING AT ACR X AIRLINES, WAS AN ESPECIALLY EMOTIONALLY CHARGED DAY, AS IT WAS THE LAST DAY OF OPERATION OF THE ACR X AIRLINE SHUTTLE, BEFORE ITS TRANSFER TO NEW OWNER. MY CREW AND I, ALONG WITH OTHER CREWS WERE OPERATING THE LAST OF THE COMPANY SHUTTLES AND SPIRITS WERE PRETTY LOW. AS A GESTURE OF GRATITUDE AND GOOD WILL TO THE PEOPLE WHO FOR MANY YEARS HAVE WORKED THE SHUTTLE, THE IDEA WAS CONCEIVED FOR FLTS TO FLY AN 'ACR X WILL SURVIVE' FLAP ON GATE ARRIVALS. IN BOSTON, AFTER CLEARING ALL RWYS, TXWYS, AND XINGS AND UPON ENTERING THE COMPANY RAMP AREA, THE COPLT SIMPLY OPENED HIS WINDOW AND FLEW THE FLAG. HIS DUTIES WERE NOT INTERFERED WITH SINCE HIS ONLY JOB AT THAT POINT WAS TO WATCH OUTSIDE THE WINDOW. ALL CHECKLISTS AND COMS HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THE FLAG DID NOT INTERFERE WITH VISION AND WE WERE ALL 'HEADS-UP' LOOKING OUT AS NORMAL. THE FLAG WAS SECURED, INSIDE SO AS NOT TO COME LOOSE. WE WERE THE ONLY THING MOVING ON THE RAMP. THERE WAS NO INCIDENT, ACCIDENT, MISHAP, OR WHATEVER, BUT I GUESS IN RETROSPECT, WE SHOULD PROBABLY HAVE PARKED AND THEN DISPLAYED THE FLAG. I SEE NO DANGER IN WHAT WE DID, BUT AFTER FURTHER THOUGHT WE REFRAINED FROM ANY OTHER FLAG DISPLAY. INSTEAD, WE USED OUR FLAG FOR PEOPLE TO AUTOGRAPH AT THE END OF THE DAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 113077: I FEEL THAT ALL PLTS WOULD BENEFIT FROM OUR EXPERIENCE. OVER THE LAST MONTH, OUR RADIO XMISSIONS HAVE BEEN PURPOSELY BLOCKED (BY EITHER STRIKING ASSOCIATION MEMBERS OR ASSOCIATION MEMBERS OF OTHER AIRLINES), AND WE HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY GIVEN THE 'FINGER' BY CAPTS OF OTHER AIRLINES WHILE THEIR ACFT WAS UNDER POWER AND MOVING. PERHAPS LOOKING AT THESE ACTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF BEING VIOLATIONS OF THE STERILE COCKPIT MAY PREVENT A SERIOUS BREACH OF SAFETY WHICH COULD VERY WELL ENDANGER THE TRAVELING PUBLIC. ALTHOUGH ASSOCIATION INTENTIONS WERE NOT INTENDED AS CONSTRUCTIVE, I HAVE LEARNED FROM THE INCIDENT. THERE IS FAR MORE TO THE 'STERILE COCKPIT' THAN SIMPLY LOCKING THE DOOR AND CONFINING FLT DECK ACTIVITIES TO ONLY OPERATIONAL ISSUES. A STERILE COCKPIT IS AN ATTITUDE AS WELL THAT DEMANDS THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF DISCIPLINE, CONCENTRATION, AND PROFESSIONALISM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.