Narrative:

The operations manual of my airline contains procedures for specific PA announcements. The intention of these announcements is to signal the end or beginning of the sterile cockpit period. On departure, an announcement is required climbing through 10000 ft. I have always believed that this is a bad time to take one of the pilots out of the loop by making a PA announcement. I normally make as brief an announcement as possible, stating that we are climbing through 10000 ft and expect to arrive on time, for example. In the incident being reported, we had departed quite late, so instead of merely saying 'on time' I had to complete an actual ETA. During the course of computing the ETA and making the announcement, I was not observing the PF's navigation actions. I was out of the loop long enough for the PF to select and intercept a radial from an incorrect NAVAID. When I returned from the PA to monitoring the ATC frequency, the first thing I heard was a query as to why we were off course. 10000 ft on climb out is a period of changing altitude and routing clrncs -- not the time to be making a PA. Yet my airline requires this in order to signal the end of the sterile cockpit period. This is a mistake, and a PA is the wrong tool for this job. There should be a sterile cockpit indicator for the flight attendants such as a light, or a bell signal, that does not involve taking a pilot out of the loop, but only requires a FLIP of a switch or push of a button.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PIC RPT ON HIS COMPANY'S POLICY OF A PA ANNOUNCEMENT OUT OF 10000 FT AS A SIGNAL FOR THE ENDING OF THE STERILE COCKPIT CONCEPT. RPTR DISAGREES WITH PROC AND HIS FLT WAS OFF COURSE.

Narrative: THE OPS MANUAL OF MY AIRLINE CONTAINS PROCS FOR SPECIFIC PA ANNOUNCEMENTS. THE INTENTION OF THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS IS TO SIGNAL THE END OR BEGINNING OF THE STERILE COCKPIT PERIOD. ON DEP, AN ANNOUNCEMENT IS REQUIRED CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT. I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THIS IS A BAD TIME TO TAKE ONE OF THE PLTS OUT OF THE LOOP BY MAKING A PA ANNOUNCEMENT. I NORMALLY MAKE AS BRIEF AN ANNOUNCEMENT AS POSSIBLE, STATING THAT WE ARE CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT AND EXPECT TO ARRIVE ON TIME, FOR EXAMPLE. IN THE INCIDENT BEING RPTED, WE HAD DEPARTED QUITE LATE, SO INSTEAD OF MERELY SAYING 'ON TIME' I HAD TO COMPLETE AN ACTUAL ETA. DURING THE COURSE OF COMPUTING THE ETA AND MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT, I WAS NOT OBSERVING THE PF'S NAV ACTIONS. I WAS OUT OF THE LOOP LONG ENOUGH FOR THE PF TO SELECT AND INTERCEPT A RADIAL FROM AN INCORRECT NAVAID. WHEN I RETURNED FROM THE PA TO MONITORING THE ATC FREQ, THE FIRST THING I HEARD WAS A QUERY AS TO WHY WE WERE OFF COURSE. 10000 FT ON CLBOUT IS A PERIOD OF CHANGING ALT AND ROUTING CLRNCS -- NOT THE TIME TO BE MAKING A PA. YET MY AIRLINE REQUIRES THIS IN ORDER TO SIGNAL THE END OF THE STERILE COCKPIT PERIOD. THIS IS A MISTAKE, AND A PA IS THE WRONG TOOL FOR THIS JOB. THERE SHOULD BE A STERILE COCKPIT INDICATOR FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS SUCH AS A LIGHT, OR A BELL SIGNAL, THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE TAKING A PLT OUT OF THE LOOP, BUT ONLY REQUIRES A FLIP OF A SWITCH OR PUSH OF A BUTTON.

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.