Sterile cockpits are distraction-free cockpits. And I'm not talking about a sparkling yoke and throttle with "sanitized for your protection" ribbons around the front seats. And, no, a sterile cockpit does not mean the crew is prohibited from using bad words or conversing about unwholesome topics at all times on the flight deck. A sterile cockpit is a cockpit without non-operational chatter, usually during taxi, takeoff and climb, and approach and landing. In more general terms, sterile cockpit is utilized in the vicinity of an airport and during high workload and high risk phases of flight. It's also used during in-flight emergencies.
I'll provide a little more detail for those pilots who are not familiar with the sterile cockpit concept. In simple plain language, sterile cockpit requires the pilot(s) and passengers (if not separated by a door or isolating intercom system) to refrain from engaging in non-essential discussion that is not directly related to the operation of the aircraft or safety of flight. For instance, talking about high fuel prices on short final would be a violation of sterile cockpit, but a co-pilot or first officer alerting the captain to wildlife on the runway would not be a violation. The cockpit is considered "sterilized" when the only conversation between crew and, if applicable, passengers is restricted only to the task at hand and nothing else. The idea here is to eliminate distractions in the cockpit during critical phases of flight.
Many aviation regulations and airline policies were "written in blood," meaning the new rules were born in response to a serious incident or crash. Sterile cockpit regulations are no exception. Airlines started using sterile cockpit procedures after a series of aircraft accidents occurred where the crew could be heard discussing non-essential (sometimes utterly unrelated) items on the cockpit voice recorder shortly before the crash. The distraction created by these off-topic conversations was determined to be the leading cause or at least significant link in the accident chain of these crashes. The FAA and airlines decided that crews must be required to focus solely on the operation of the aircraft during key phases of flight to prevent future distraction-related accidents. Airline crews now typically must maintain sterile cockpit from pushback through taxi, takeoff, and initial climb. The crew may elect to suspend sterile cockpit after passing 10,000 feet MSL. The reverse applies on descent and arrival. Sterile cockpit must be resumed below 10,000 feet and remain in effect until shutdown. The sterile cockpit rule seems to have helped reduce distraction-related accidents, although there have still been a few over the years, usually where crews were violating sterile cockpit and forgot to carry out certain checklist items, etcetera. The recent crash of Colgan 3407 is a prime example of a blatant and intentional violation of sterile cockpit procedures resulting in distraction causing the crew to forget an important checklist item. Some will contend that this wasn't the primary reason for the crash, and I agree, but it was certainly an important link in the chain of events that led to the loss of control.
Pilots of non-transport airplanes typically do not use sterile cockpit procedures because their use is not currently required by regulation. That is unfortunate, and I believe all pilots should use and enforce these anti-distraction procedures. Because light airplanes lack the explicit guidance that the airlines receive about where and when to use sterile cockpit, pilots of these airplanes should create their own policies and brief their passengers on them before every flight. My sterile cockpit begins at engine start and remains in effect through taxi, run-up, takeoff, and initial climb. It may be suspended after ten miles from the departure airport unless the aircraft is penetrating complex airspace or there is some other special circumstance that requires additional quiet time. Many light airplanes cruise below 10,000 feet MSL and climb more slowly than airline jets, so using the airlines' protocol of maintaining sterile cockpit at all times below 10,000 feet doesn't work. It's better to think in terms of lateral distance for us since we don't fly as high. On descent and arrival I'll resume sterile cockpit within ten miles of the arrival airport and maintain it during approach, landing, and taxi in until the engine is shutdown. I always include a sterile cockpit portion in my pre-flight briefing to my passengers informing them that all chit-chat must be put on hold during sterile times, and if they see something that they think directly relates to safety of flight to tell me. I let them know that I'll tell them when sterile cockpit periods begin and end. Remember, you're the pilot in command and it's your responsibility to brief your passengers on these things. This is important information, and these procedures are designed to keep you and your passengers alive.
Sterile cockpit procedures should be used routinely every flight, even at your home field where you know every crack in the taxiway. Familiarity often leads to complacency, and complacency very often leads to accidents. And just because you're familiar with the airport doesn't mean the pilots in the airplane that just landed are, and they could make a wrong turn onto your runway during your takeoff run. The FAA has deemed runway incursions as a safety hot spot in recent years, and most runway incursions are caused by GA airplanes. Maybe part of the reason for this is because most GA guys don't use sterile cockpit procedures. Most runway incursions are caused by crew distraction. Engaging in unrelated banter as you cross an active runway is a bad idea, and even if you think you're a good multi-tasker you're still a human, and the human brain works best when all of its resources are devoted to only the task at hand. Once off the ground, sterile cockpit is just as important for purposes of collision avoidance as well as checklist tasks and initial navigation and air traffic control communication.
Sterile cockpit procedures are another great idea gleaned from the airlines for GA pilots. The idea behind these procedures is that a human brain does a better job of keeping the flight safe when all its resources are as undivided as possible. Distractions don't belong in cockpits. A sterile cockpit yields a sterile mind, and sterile minds are less likely to crash airplanes.
