Narrative:

This was the 4TH leg of my first day with this captain, my 7TH day on the line in my first airline position. The captain is a former fighter pilot, about my father's age, and in the hiring pool of a major airline -- 'just waiting for that phone call.' he was interested in showing me the ropes, but had a somewhat cavalier attitude regarding some procedures. For instance, on my initial walk around he commented 'we're not buying it, we're just going to fly it for a little while.' he delighted in demonstrating a power-back (empty), which our operations specifications prohibit with passenger. Also, he made much of the fact that he was on the interview board, and made passing references to comments he might make to the chief pilot regarding my performance. To his credit he was very precise about checklists and pilot technique (and on a later leg demonstrated excellent cockpit resource management in severe WX), but at this time I was uncertain about how best to work with him. About 2 or 3 mins after our departure from msy we intercepted our outbound course. At that time I turned to check on the passenger and cabin. A passenger in the front row was holding a camera pointed toward the cockpit and smiling. I returned the smile, nodded, and returned to my cockpit scan. I then became aware of the passenger standing right behind us with his camera in the cockpit. I asked the captain if I should ask him to return to his seat -- meaning should I ask or was the captain going to ask. The captain replied that it was ok. I suggested that maybe he should wait until we reached cruise. The captain's response was that 'no, he's a nice italian boy.' I continued my scan and ignored the passenger while I was deciding if I should say the words 'sterile cockpit' (an often ignored concept if my observations while jumpseating are an indication). The passenger then returned to his seat -- perhaps sensing my concern. There is no policy regarding cockpit doors at our airline. Most capts leave them open, and many passenger comment on how much they enjoyed watching out front and the cockpit instruments. However, in only 7 days on the line I experienced the incident above and another passenger taking flash pictures during a night landing. I believe that cockpit doors, if installed should be closed during all critical phases of flight, and that passenger should have a call button in case of a problem in the cabin on commuter aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BRAND NEW FO, NEW TO THE ACR AND NEW TO THE INDUSTRY, COMPLAINS ABOUT HIS CAPT'S NON-OBSERVANCE OF THE 'STERILE COCKPIT' CONCEPT.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE 4TH LEG OF MY FIRST DAY WITH THIS CAPT, MY 7TH DAY ON THE LINE IN MY FIRST AIRLINE POS. THE CAPT IS A FORMER FIGHTER PLT, ABOUT MY FATHER'S AGE, AND IN THE HIRING POOL OF A MAJOR AIRLINE -- 'JUST WAITING FOR THAT PHONE CALL.' HE WAS INTERESTED IN SHOWING ME THE ROPES, BUT HAD A SOMEWHAT CAVALIER ATTITUDE REGARDING SOME PROCS. FOR INSTANCE, ON MY INITIAL WALK AROUND HE COMMENTED 'WE'RE NOT BUYING IT, WE'RE JUST GOING TO FLY IT FOR A LITTLE WHILE.' HE DELIGHTED IN DEMONSTRATING A PWR-BACK (EMPTY), WHICH OUR OPS SPECS PROHIBIT WITH PAX. ALSO, HE MADE MUCH OF THE FACT THAT HE WAS ON THE INTERVIEW BOARD, AND MADE PASSING REFERENCES TO COMMENTS HE MIGHT MAKE TO THE CHIEF PLT REGARDING MY PERFORMANCE. TO HIS CREDIT HE WAS VERY PRECISE ABOUT CHKLISTS AND PLT TECHNIQUE (AND ON A LATER LEG DEMONSTRATED EXCELLENT COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT IN SEVERE WX), BUT AT THIS TIME I WAS UNCERTAIN ABOUT HOW BEST TO WORK WITH HIM. ABOUT 2 OR 3 MINS AFTER OUR DEP FROM MSY WE INTERCEPTED OUR OUTBOUND COURSE. AT THAT TIME I TURNED TO CHK ON THE PAX AND CABIN. A PAX IN THE FRONT ROW WAS HOLDING A CAMERA POINTED TOWARD THE COCKPIT AND SMILING. I RETURNED THE SMILE, NODDED, AND RETURNED TO MY COCKPIT SCAN. I THEN BECAME AWARE OF THE PAX STANDING RIGHT BEHIND US WITH HIS CAMERA IN THE COCKPIT. I ASKED THE CAPT IF I SHOULD ASK HIM TO RETURN TO HIS SEAT -- MEANING SHOULD I ASK OR WAS THE CAPT GOING TO ASK. THE CAPT REPLIED THAT IT WAS OK. I SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE HE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL WE REACHED CRUISE. THE CAPT'S RESPONSE WAS THAT 'NO, HE'S A NICE ITALIAN BOY.' I CONTINUED MY SCAN AND IGNORED THE PAX WHILE I WAS DECIDING IF I SHOULD SAY THE WORDS 'STERILE COCKPIT' (AN OFTEN IGNORED CONCEPT IF MY OBSERVATIONS WHILE JUMPSEATING ARE AN INDICATION). THE PAX THEN RETURNED TO HIS SEAT -- PERHAPS SENSING MY CONCERN. THERE IS NO POLICY REGARDING COCKPIT DOORS AT OUR AIRLINE. MOST CAPTS LEAVE THEM OPEN, AND MANY PAX COMMENT ON HOW MUCH THEY ENJOYED WATCHING OUT FRONT AND THE COCKPIT INSTS. HOWEVER, IN ONLY 7 DAYS ON THE LINE I EXPERIENCED THE INCIDENT ABOVE AND ANOTHER PAX TAKING FLASH PICTURES DURING A NIGHT LNDG. I BELIEVE THAT COCKPIT DOORS, IF INSTALLED SHOULD BE CLOSED DURING ALL CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT, AND THAT PAX SHOULD HAVE A CALL BUTTON IN CASE OF A PROB IN THE CABIN ON COMMUTER ACFT.

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.