Cockpit and cabin crew coordination

17771632Final Report; Oct 1985 - Nov 1985PDFTech ReportDOT-TSC-FAA-87-4Cockpit resource managementCrew resource managementUnited States. Federal Aviation AdministrationCardosi, Kim M.Huntley, M. Stephen, Jr.John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)NTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-SAFETY AND SECURITYNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Human FactorsVolpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterCockpit and cabin crew coordination is crucial not only in emergencies, butalso during normal operations. The purposes of this study were to determine thestatus of crew coordination in the industry and to identify the implications forflight safety. This examination of crew coordination included: an examinationof accidents and incidents in which cockpit and cabin crew coordination was afactor, an analysis of the results of surveys of pilot and flight attendantsafety representatives, a survey of manuals and training programs for flightattendants and pilots, interviews with training administrators from seven Part 121carriers, and interviews with Principal Operations Inspectors and their managers.Problem areas identified in this study included: inadequate crew communication inemergencies, confusion over the "sterile cockpit" (FAR 121.542) concept, inadequateinstruction on the duties of the other crew in training, failure to properlysecure the cabin for takeoff and landing, and inadequate support for and staffingof the FAA inspector workforce. Recommendations for improving the status ofcockpit and cabin crew coordination include changes in training and operationalprocedures