Narrative:

We were operating as flight from roc to ord. Aircraft was a B727-200. Captain stated on the ground that he was planning to fly this leg back to ord and that he was going to cruise over to niagara falls at 6000 ft MSL and do a 360 degree turn over the niagara falls. He also informed the flight attendants that he was going to have 2 of them at a time come into the cockpit to see the view. The captain proceeded to contact roc clearance delivery to work a clearance to the falls. After cockpit preflight was accomplished, I expressed to the captain that I had reservations about flying over the falls and that I was 'uncomfortable' with his game plan. I also stated that I felt we would be violating the sterile cockpit requirement with flight attendants in the cockpit below 10000 ft while maneuvering. He replied that since we would be level at 6000 ft, we would be in cruise flight and that sterile cockpit wasn't required, to which I disagreed. He then told me that my objections were noted but he was still going to do the fly-by. He further said that he was going to take full responsibility and that I was 'absolved' of any responsibility. I was surprised at this complete disregard for CRM which our company stresses and takes very seriously. I also was frustrated by the fact that we had absolutely zero operational necessity to do this maneuvering, especially since this was a wkend, VFR over the falls, and definitely a safety of flight issue -- not to mention the possibility of waterfowl at these altitudes. Our initial clearance was to be vectored over the falls and then proceed to london VOR -- pretty much a straight shot. As we prepared for pushback, we were given a rerte from the falls to dunkirk VOR, which would mean a detour directly south for 30 mi to get on course. The captain continued with his game plan. After takeoff, we climbed to 10000 ft, as cleared, and proceeded towards the falls. Approximately 30-35 mi from the falls, approach cleared us to descend to 6000 ft MSL. As we were approaching the falls at 6000 ft, approach cleared us for as many turns in the 'VFR pattern' as we wanted. I stated to the captain that 'VFR pattern' implied we weren't at cruise. He didn't reply. He also called the 'a' flight attendant to the cockpit, using the hand set. She entered the cockpit, looked out the window, and then left saying she would be right back with our crew meals. I again stated that this was maneuvering and that the flight attendants couldn't be in the cockpit because of sterile cockpit. I don't recall his response as the flight attendant knocked and entered with our crew meals. I told her she couldn't be in the cockpit, to which she replied, 'you're kidding.' she seemed surprised, since the captain had briefed her that it was ok to be in the cockpit. I asked her to set the meals on the jump seat and leave the cockpit. The captain started a left turn, a full 360 degrees, over the falls. Approach asked how many turns we wanted to make. I confirmed with the captain that he wanted 1 turn and replied 'the captain would like to make 1 turn.' after we completed the 1 turn, we were issued a climb clearance. The remainder of the flight was completed without incident. I feel that there was a breakdown in crew resource management. Even though I expressed serious concerns, the captain continued his intended course of action without regard for cockpit professionalism. I am trying to determine what other actions, short of walking out of the cockpit at the gate, I could have done to change the outcome, as every attempt I made to advocate a safer course of action were ignored. I felt as though I was the only one advocating against the infractions, for the captain had made his decision well before takeoff, and the flight engineer had just finished IOE. This was his second flight off of IOE, and did not enter into the discussion on either side. I can imagine that being brand new, fresh out of training and the first time flying unsupervised (not to mention being on probation) were very overwhelming, but this is not the type of behavior and decision making our inexperienced people should see. Safety must be the primary concern of the flight crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO RPT REGARDING A CAPT WHO WANTED TO SIGHT SEE OVER THE NIAGARA FALLS AT 6000 FT. DISAGREEMENT REGARDING STERILE COCKPIT PROCS.

Narrative: WE WERE OPERATING AS FLT FROM ROC TO ORD. ACFT WAS A B727-200. CAPT STATED ON THE GND THAT HE WAS PLANNING TO FLY THIS LEG BACK TO ORD AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO CRUISE OVER TO NIAGARA FALLS AT 6000 FT MSL AND DO A 360 DEG TURN OVER THE NIAGARA FALLS. HE ALSO INFORMED THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE 2 OF THEM AT A TIME COME INTO THE COCKPIT TO SEE THE VIEW. THE CAPT PROCEEDED TO CONTACT ROC CLRNC DELIVERY TO WORK A CLRNC TO THE FALLS. AFTER COCKPIT PREFLT WAS ACCOMPLISHED, I EXPRESSED TO THE CAPT THAT I HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT FLYING OVER THE FALLS AND THAT I WAS 'UNCOMFORTABLE' WITH HIS GAME PLAN. I ALSO STATED THAT I FELT WE WOULD BE VIOLATING THE STERILE COCKPIT REQUIREMENT WITH FLT ATTENDANTS IN THE COCKPIT BELOW 10000 FT WHILE MANEUVERING. HE REPLIED THAT SINCE WE WOULD BE LEVEL AT 6000 FT, WE WOULD BE IN CRUISE FLT AND THAT STERILE COCKPIT WASN'T REQUIRED, TO WHICH I DISAGREED. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT MY OBJECTIONS WERE NOTED BUT HE WAS STILL GOING TO DO THE FLY-BY. HE FURTHER SAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND THAT I WAS 'ABSOLVED' OF ANY RESPONSIBILITY. I WAS SURPRISED AT THIS COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR CRM WHICH OUR COMPANY STRESSES AND TAKES VERY SERIOUSLY. I ALSO WAS FRUSTRATED BY THE FACT THAT WE HAD ABSOLUTELY ZERO OPERATIONAL NECESSITY TO DO THIS MANEUVERING, ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS WAS A WKEND, VFR OVER THE FALLS, AND DEFINITELY A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE -- NOT TO MENTION THE POSSIBILITY OF WATERFOWL AT THESE ALTS. OUR INITIAL CLRNC WAS TO BE VECTORED OVER THE FALLS AND THEN PROCEED TO LONDON VOR -- PRETTY MUCH A STRAIGHT SHOT. AS WE PREPARED FOR PUSHBACK, WE WERE GIVEN A RERTE FROM THE FALLS TO DUNKIRK VOR, WHICH WOULD MEAN A DETOUR DIRECTLY S FOR 30 MI TO GET ON COURSE. THE CAPT CONTINUED WITH HIS GAME PLAN. AFTER TKOF, WE CLBED TO 10000 FT, AS CLRED, AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE FALLS. APPROX 30-35 MI FROM THE FALLS, APCH CLRED US TO DSND TO 6000 FT MSL. AS WE WERE APCHING THE FALLS AT 6000 FT, APCH CLRED US FOR AS MANY TURNS IN THE 'VFR PATTERN' AS WE WANTED. I STATED TO THE CAPT THAT 'VFR PATTERN' IMPLIED WE WEREN'T AT CRUISE. HE DIDN'T REPLY. HE ALSO CALLED THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT TO THE COCKPIT, USING THE HAND SET. SHE ENTERED THE COCKPIT, LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW, AND THEN LEFT SAYING SHE WOULD BE RIGHT BACK WITH OUR CREW MEALS. I AGAIN STATED THAT THIS WAS MANEUVERING AND THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS COULDN'T BE IN THE COCKPIT BECAUSE OF STERILE COCKPIT. I DON'T RECALL HIS RESPONSE AS THE FLT ATTENDANT KNOCKED AND ENTERED WITH OUR CREW MEALS. I TOLD HER SHE COULDN'T BE IN THE COCKPIT, TO WHICH SHE REPLIED, 'YOU'RE KIDDING.' SHE SEEMED SURPRISED, SINCE THE CAPT HAD BRIEFED HER THAT IT WAS OK TO BE IN THE COCKPIT. I ASKED HER TO SET THE MEALS ON THE JUMP SEAT AND LEAVE THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT STARTED A L TURN, A FULL 360 DEGS, OVER THE FALLS. APCH ASKED HOW MANY TURNS WE WANTED TO MAKE. I CONFIRMED WITH THE CAPT THAT HE WANTED 1 TURN AND REPLIED 'THE CAPT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE 1 TURN.' AFTER WE COMPLETED THE 1 TURN, WE WERE ISSUED A CLB CLRNC. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I FEEL THAT THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN CREW RESOURCE MGMNT. EVEN THOUGH I EXPRESSED SERIOUS CONCERNS, THE CAPT CONTINUED HIS INTENDED COURSE OF ACTION WITHOUT REGARD FOR COCKPIT PROFESSIONALISM. I AM TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT OTHER ACTIONS, SHORT OF WALKING OUT OF THE COCKPIT AT THE GATE, I COULD HAVE DONE TO CHANGE THE OUTCOME, AS EVERY ATTEMPT I MADE TO ADVOCATE A SAFER COURSE OF ACTION WERE IGNORED. I FELT AS THOUGH I WAS THE ONLY ONE ADVOCATING AGAINST THE INFRACTIONS, FOR THE CAPT HAD MADE HIS DECISION WELL BEFORE TKOF, AND THE FE HAD JUST FINISHED IOE. THIS WAS HIS SECOND FLT OFF OF IOE, AND DID NOT ENTER INTO THE DISCUSSION ON EITHER SIDE. I CAN IMAGINE THAT BEING BRAND NEW, FRESH OUT OF TRAINING AND THE FIRST TIME FLYING UNSUPERVISED (NOT TO MENTION BEING ON PROBATION) WERE VERY OVERWHELMING, BUT THIS IS NOT THE TYPE OF BEHAVIOR AND DECISION MAKING OUR INEXPERIENCED PEOPLE SHOULD SEE. SAFETY MUST BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN OF THE FLC.

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.