Medium large transport flight crew has aci inspector enter cockpit for check flight. On taxi aircraf...

Attributes
ACN	241044
Time
Date	199305
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	241044
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During preflight set-up at the gate, an air carrier inspector entered the cockpit and stated that he'd be giving us a line check to pit. After the obligatory document check, our conversation was congenial and relaxed. After reading the pushback checklist and underway, it was clear to me that the captain was not gong to maintain a 'sterile' environment. The taxi out to the runway took the circuitous route around the terminal complex. We determined that at 1 point we were about #25 for takeoff. During this time, I tried to only respond to the captain's non-business comments with mono-syllabic grunts and agreements, hoping that he would take the clue and go to a sterile mode. Much to my surprise, not only did the captain continue, but the aci started to participate in non-essential chatter. This disintegrated to the point that jokes about the recent waco tragedy were flying fast and furious. Now that the aci had violated the sterile cockpit rule, I felt obligated to join the conversation. This is where I should have tactfully used cockpit resource management to get back to the business at hand. As we approached the departure runway, ground control instructed us to fall out of the line and taxi around about 4 airplanes up to, but holding sort of, the runway. While I gave the flight attendant warning 'prepare for takeoff' over the PA, the captain was taxiing and adjusting the radar in order to paint an area of WX in the departure path. I looked up to see that we were crossing the newly painted hold line. I said 'there's your stop line.' the captain was oblivious. This was my second error in not gently applying brakes on my side to stop us short of the runway, rather than depending on verbal communication. No conflict occurred with any other aircraft and the flight continued to destination without incident. This 'technical infraction' with an aci present happened because of the overly relaxed mood in the cockpit at the time. In the future, I'll try and direct the activities back to business and not fall prey to trying to buddy up to the captain and, in this case, an FAA inspector.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC HAS ACI INSPECTOR ENTER COCKPIT FOR CHK FLT. ON TAXI ACFT CROSSES LINE THEY WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT OF. CAPT VIOLATED STERILE COCKPIT RULE.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT SET-UP AT THE GATE, AN ACR INSPECTOR ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND STATED THAT HE'D BE GIVING US A LINE CHK TO PIT. AFTER THE OBLIGATORY DOCUMENT CHK, OUR CONVERSATION WAS CONGENIAL AND RELAXED. AFTER READING THE PUSHBACK CHKLIST AND UNDERWAY, IT WAS CLR TO ME THAT THE CAPT WAS NOT GONG TO MAINTAIN A 'STERILE' ENVIRONMENT. THE TAXI OUT TO THE RWY TOOK THE CIRCUITOUS RTE AROUND THE TERMINAL COMPLEX. WE DETERMINED THAT AT 1 POINT WE WERE ABOUT #25 FOR TKOF. DURING THIS TIME, I TRIED TO ONLY RESPOND TO THE CAPT'S NON-BUSINESS COMMENTS WITH MONO-SYLLABIC GRUNTS AND AGREEMENTS, HOPING THAT HE WOULD TAKE THE CLUE AND GO TO A STERILE MODE. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, NOT ONLY DID THE CAPT CONTINUE, BUT THE ACI STARTED TO PARTICIPATE IN NON-ESSENTIAL CHATTER. THIS DISINTEGRATED TO THE POINT THAT JOKES ABOUT THE RECENT WACO TRAGEDY WERE FLYING FAST AND FURIOUS. NOW THAT THE ACI HAD VIOLATED THE STERILE COCKPIT RULE, I FELT OBLIGATED TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION. THIS IS WHERE I SHOULD HAVE TACTFULLY USED COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT TO GET BACK TO THE BUSINESS AT HAND. AS WE APCHED THE DEP RWY, GND CTL INSTRUCTED US TO FALL OUT OF THE LINE AND TAXI AROUND ABOUT 4 AIRPLANES UP TO, BUT HOLDING SORT OF, THE RWY. WHILE I GAVE THE FLT ATTENDANT WARNING 'PREPARE FOR TKOF' OVER THE PA, THE CAPT WAS TAXIING AND ADJUSTING THE RADAR IN ORDER TO PAINT AN AREA OF WX IN THE DEP PATH. I LOOKED UP TO SEE THAT WE WERE XING THE NEWLY PAINTED HOLD LINE. I SAID 'THERE'S YOUR STOP LINE.' THE CAPT WAS OBLIVIOUS. THIS WAS MY SECOND ERROR IN NOT GENTLY APPLYING BRAKES ON MY SIDE TO STOP US SHORT OF THE RWY, RATHER THAN DEPENDING ON VERBAL COM. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED WITH ANY OTHER ACFT AND THE FLT CONTINUED TO DEST WITHOUT INCIDENT. THIS 'TECHNICAL INFRACTION' WITH AN ACI PRESENT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE OVERLY RELAXED MOOD IN THE COCKPIT AT THE TIME. IN THE FUTURE, I'LL TRY AND DIRECT THE ACTIVITIES BACK TO BUSINESS AND NOT FALL PREY TO TRYING TO BUDDY UP TO THE CAPT AND, IN THIS CASE, AN FAA INSPECTOR.

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.

Medium large transport flight crew has aci inspector enter cockpit for check flight. On taxi aircraft crosses line they were told to hold short of. Captain violated sterile cockpit rule.