Aci on board when flight crew violates the sterile cockpit rule below 10000 ft. FAA followup.

Attributes
ACN	253724
Time
Date	199310
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gpz
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : zmp
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	253724
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 other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : assigned or threatened penalties
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Airlines flight gpz to tuf on climb, a few comments were made below 10000 ft for a reference to terrain features and were not strictly pertinent to the flight. These comments were brief and in no way interfered with the duties, coordination, or professionalism of us as a flight crew. The flight segment was in an extremely sparsely populated area and there were no passenger on board for this leg of the flight. The FAA inspector on board was name xx, last name unknown and is out of the msp district office. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states the inspector filed a report and he has received his 10 day letter. He responded. His first officer has received a second letter stating the matter has been sent to regional office. He and first officer agree that they were talking below 10000 ft but no passenger on board and so they became a bit more relaxed than they normally would have. Inspector they spoke to after event said they would receive a violation, a warning letter or possibly nothing at all. Reporter's company did issue a memo to entire pilot group regarding the sterile cockpit procedure and indicated there had been FAA action against a crew. They are trying to eliminate any future such action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACI ON BOARD WHEN FLC VIOLATES THE STERILE COCKPIT RULE BELOW 10000 FT. FAA FOLLOWUP.

Narrative: AIRLINES FLT GPZ TO TUF ON CLB, A FEW COMMENTS WERE MADE BELOW 10000 FT FOR A REF TO TERRAIN FEATURES AND WERE NOT STRICTLY PERTINENT TO THE FLT. THESE COMMENTS WERE BRIEF AND IN NO WAY INTERFERED WITH THE DUTIES, COORD, OR PROFESSIONALISM OF US AS A FLC. THE FLT SEGMENT WAS IN AN EXTREMELY SPARSELY POPULATED AREA AND THERE WERE NO PAX ON BOARD FOR THIS LEG OF THE FLT. THE FAA INSPECTOR ON BOARD WAS NAME XX, LAST NAME UNKNOWN AND IS OUT OF THE MSP DISTRICT OFFICE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THE INSPECTOR FILED A RPT AND HE HAS RECEIVED HIS 10 DAY LETTER. HE RESPONDED. HIS FO HAS RECEIVED A SECOND LETTER STATING THE MATTER HAS BEEN SENT TO REGIONAL OFFICE. HE AND FO AGREE THAT THEY WERE TALKING BELOW 10000 FT BUT NO PAX ON BOARD AND SO THEY BECAME A BIT MORE RELAXED THAN THEY NORMALLY WOULD HAVE. INSPECTOR THEY SPOKE TO AFTER EVENT SAID THEY WOULD RECEIVE A VIOLATION, A WARNING LETTER OR POSSIBLY NOTHING AT ALL. RPTR'S COMPANY DID ISSUE A MEMO TO ENTIRE PLT GROUP REGARDING THE STERILE COCKPIT PROC AND INDICATED THERE HAD BEEN FAA ACTION AGAINST A CREW. THEY ARE TRYING TO ELIMINATE ANY FUTURE SUCH ACTION.

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.