Federal and state governments have been cracking down on drivers for using cellphones and texting while behind the wheel. Now there is a call for airlines to impose similar restrictions to stop pilots from being distracted – like using their laptops — while flying.
The Federal Aviation Administration Monday called on airlines to create and enforce policies that will limit distractions in the cockpit and keep pilots focused on transporting passengers safely. http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=11338
“There is no room for distraction when your job is to get people safely to their destinations,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statment. “The traveling public expects professional pilots to focus on flying and on safety at all times.”
The FAA reminded crewmembers and airlines that any cockpit distraction that diverts attention from required duties can “constitute a safety risk.” This includes the use of personal electronic devices for activities unrelated to flight.
Cockpit distractions in the past year have become an air safety priority, according to USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2010-04-25-pilots_N.htm
For example, last October the pilots of Northwest 188 over-flew their destination by 150 miles because they were using their laptop computers for personal activities and lost situational awareness.
Not a very consoling thought if you’re a frequent flyer.
“Every aviation professional needs to take the issue of distractions in the cockpit seriously,” FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said in his statement Monday. “And when there are two or more professionals on the flight deck, they must hold each other to the highest safety standards. Allowing distractions is unacceptable.”
The FAA’s Sterile Cockpit Rule prohibits pilots from engaging in any type of distracting behavior during critical phases of flight, including take-off and landing, according to a press release from the agency.
The FAA is asking air carriers to address the issue of distraction through their crew training programs and to create a safety culture to control cockpit distractions.
As technology advances, laptops and other devices are becoming valuable tools for pilots to use in their routine duties, the FAA said. But they must only be used in the cockpit if they assist pilots in safely operating an aircraft, the FAA warned.
Let’s hope airlines take the FAA’s advice and do enact anti-distraction policies, with tough penalties. People’s lives are at stake.