Flight crewmember duties

In plain English

The sterile cockpit rule: during critical phases of flight (taxi, takeoff, landing, and all operations below 10,000 ft except cruise), crewmembers must not do anything not required for the safe operation of the aircraft — no non-essential conversation, paperwork or distractions.

Key points

• No non-essential activities below 10,000 ft (except cruise) or in critical phases.
• Includes no non-duty conversation among crew.
• Applies to taxi, takeoff and landing regardless of altitude.

Common pitfalls

• Chatting or doing paperwork during a busy descent or approach.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and your operator’s ops specs.*