Sterile cockpit concept.

Attributes
ACN	185154
Time
Date	199108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dxo airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dtw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 3660 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	185154
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was the flying captain on a leg from dtw to rfd and my first officer was working the radios. Our call sign was xyz. We had just departed 21C. While climbing up to our limit of 4000 ft, my first officer pointed an accident out to me on I94. I simply acknowledged it and said nothing. I like to stay professional and remain sterile below 10000 ft. We were leveling at 4000 when departure gave us another 1000 ft, up to 5000. First officer read the clearance back correctly to ATC and then he surprised me by telling ATC about the traffic accident. The controller asked whether the traffic was backed up going east or wbound and said he would make sure a sheriff would report to the scene. My point is that first officer was wrong and unprofessional for saying anything. We were below 10000 ft, but I suppose I could argue that we were in cruise or at least an intermittent cruise. I don't know who I, as captain, can control what my first officer always says on the radio. I did obviously point this out to him, and said he should not have said anything. I would be interested to know how many pilots get violated for unsterile cockpits, and if any you know of, have been violated when FAA inspectors just happened to be listening in from another location. Please let me know!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STERILE COCKPIT CONCEPT.

Narrative: I WAS THE FLYING CAPT ON A LEG FROM DTW TO RFD AND MY FO WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. OUR CALL SIGN WAS XYZ. WE HAD JUST DEPARTED 21C. WHILE CLBING UP TO OUR LIMIT OF 4000 FT, MY FO POINTED AN ACCIDENT OUT TO ME ON I94. I SIMPLY ACKNOWLEDGED IT AND SAID NOTHING. I LIKE TO STAY PROFESSIONAL AND REMAIN STERILE BELOW 10000 FT. WE WERE LEVELING AT 4000 WHEN DEP GAVE US ANOTHER 1000 FT, UP TO 5000. FO READ THE CLRNC BACK CORRECTLY TO ATC AND THEN HE SURPRISED ME BY TELLING ATC ABOUT THE TFC ACCIDENT. THE CTLR ASKED WHETHER THE TFC WAS BACKED UP GOING E OR WBOUND AND SAID HE WOULD MAKE SURE A SHERIFF WOULD RPT TO THE SCENE. MY POINT IS THAT FO WAS WRONG AND UNPROFESSIONAL FOR SAYING ANYTHING. WE WERE BELOW 10000 FT, BUT I SUPPOSE I COULD ARGUE THAT WE WERE IN CRUISE OR AT LEAST AN INTERMITTENT CRUISE. I DON'T KNOW WHO I, AS CAPT, CAN CTL WHAT MY FO ALWAYS SAYS ON THE RADIO. I DID OBVIOUSLY POINT THIS OUT TO HIM, AND SAID HE SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID ANYTHING. I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW HOW MANY PLTS GET VIOLATED FOR UNSTERILE COCKPITS, AND IF ANY YOU KNOW OF, HAVE BEEN VIOLATED WHEN FAA INSPECTORS JUST HAPPENED TO BE LISTENING IN FROM ANOTHER LOCATION. PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.