Narrative:

Attached letter is largely self-explanatory. In cruise en route at FL350, captain and I got into a political discussion. It developed into an argument. I did suggest early on that we were obviously not going to convince each other - that we were too far apart even to see the problems in the same way. I was not persistent enough in this approach and got sucked into a noisy argument - without being aware of it until the lead flight attendant came to the cockpit. Fortunately, the operation of the flight was not affected. I am thankful to the flight attendant for being proactive in defusing the situation. I sent the captain this letter after a few days reflection, and also sent a copy to the company, suggesting this might make a good topic for some cockpit resource management training. We all occasionally fly with someone we disagree with or find irritating. Cockpit resource management training helped me formulate my letter. Maybe with more of it - some role playing would be useful - I would have been able to prevent this incident. I'll be alert to sits like this in the future. Incidentally, 2- pilot cockpits are more susceptible to this problem. In a 3-PLT cockpit, you're more likely to ignore a pilot you disagree with and talk to the other one. Dear captain, after our flight back to abc from xyz last week, I was somewhat troubled by our vociferous political arguing in the cockpit. A few days later I woke up realizing that when our lead flight attendant came up and sat down quietly on the jumpseat, it was probably because our bickering was audible through the door and was becoming a concern of the passenger in 1ST-class. We were not on the road to improving customer preference or to operating a safer, more professional airline. So I'd like to apologize for any of my remarks that went beyond calm discussion and got into the areas of debate, irritant or put-downs. All of us - conservatives, liberals or whatever - should be able to come to work without being harassed because of our political opinions. I'm writing this, so that you'll have a chance to think about this issue before we fly together again. I'm sure we can do better. Sincerely, first officer.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT FLC GETS QUITE VERBAL DURING POLITICAL DISCUSSION. CABIN ATTENDANT INTERVENES.

Narrative: ATTACHED LETTER IS LARGELY SELF-EXPLANATORY. IN CRUISE ENRTE AT FL350, CAPT AND I GOT INTO A POLITICAL DISCUSSION. IT DEVELOPED INTO AN ARGUMENT. I DID SUGGEST EARLY ON THAT WE WERE OBVIOUSLY NOT GOING TO CONVINCE EACH OTHER - THAT WE WERE TOO FAR APART EVEN TO SEE THE PROBS IN THE SAME WAY. I WAS NOT PERSISTENT ENOUGH IN THIS APCH AND GOT SUCKED INTO A NOISY ARGUMENT - WITHOUT BEING AWARE OF IT UNTIL THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT. FORTUNATELY, THE OP OF THE FLT WAS NOT AFFECTED. I AM THANKFUL TO THE FLT ATTENDANT FOR BEING PROACTIVE IN DEFUSING THE SIT. I SENT THE CAPT THIS LETTER AFTER A FEW DAYS REFLECTION, AND ALSO SENT A COPY TO THE COMPANY, SUGGESTING THIS MIGHT MAKE A GOOD TOPIC FOR SOME COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT TRAINING. WE ALL OCCASIONALLY FLY WITH SOMEONE WE DISAGREE WITH OR FIND IRRITATING. COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT TRAINING HELPED ME FORMULATE MY LETTER. MAYBE WITH MORE OF IT - SOME ROLE PLAYING WOULD BE USEFUL - I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PREVENT THIS INCIDENT. I'LL BE ALERT TO SITS LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE. INCIDENTALLY, 2- PLT COCKPITS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THIS PROB. IN A 3-PLT COCKPIT, YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO IGNORE A PLT YOU DISAGREE WITH AND TALK TO THE OTHER ONE. DEAR CAPT, AFTER OUR FLT BACK TO ABC FROM XYZ LAST WEEK, I WAS SOMEWHAT TROUBLED BY OUR VOCIFEROUS POLITICAL ARGUING IN THE COCKPIT. A FEW DAYS LATER I WOKE UP REALIZING THAT WHEN OUR LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP AND SAT DOWN QUIETLY ON THE JUMPSEAT, IT WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE OUR BICKERING WAS AUDIBLE THROUGH THE DOOR AND WAS BECOMING A CONCERN OF THE PAX IN 1ST-CLASS. WE WERE NOT ON THE ROAD TO IMPROVING CUSTOMER PREFERENCE OR TO OPERATING A SAFER, MORE PROFESSIONAL AIRLINE. SO I'D LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR ANY OF MY REMARKS THAT WENT BEYOND CALM DISCUSSION AND GOT INTO THE AREAS OF DEBATE, IRRITANT OR PUT-DOWNS. ALL OF US - CONSERVATIVES, LIBERALS OR WHATEVER - SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME TO WORK WITHOUT BEING HARASSED BECAUSE OF OUR POLITICAL OPINIONS. I'M WRITING THIS, SO THAT YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO THINK ABOUT THIS ISSUE BEFORE WE FLY TOGETHER AGAIN. I'M SURE WE CAN DO BETTER. SINCERELY, FO.

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.