Out of a flight crew of 3, no one was monitoring the aircraft operations during high altitude cruise...

Attributes
ACN	277754
Time
Date	199407
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ank
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 22000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zan
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Hercules (C-130)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	277754
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Last week I was a passenger on a daytime cargo flight in a herc chartered from anchorage to port clarence. I sat on the bench seat behind the flight crew. After we reached our cruise altitude of 22000 ft (above the clouds), the entire flight crew settled down to work crossword puzzles and read newspapers and magazines. Several periods of time up to 20 mins each passed without any of the crew looking at the instruments or out the windows. This strikes me as completely inappropriate behavior. One cannot avoid what one cannot see and one cannot notice the beginning of adverse trends in flight systems performance without monitoring the instruments. Surely at all times at least one pilot's eyes should be on the instruments or outside the plane. Am I wrong?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OUT OF A FLC OF 3, NO ONE WAS MONITORING THE ACFT OPS DURING HIGH ALT CRUISE.

Narrative: LAST WK I WAS A PAX ON A DAYTIME CARGO FLT IN A HERC CHARTERED FROM ANCHORAGE TO PORT CLARENCE. I SAT ON THE BENCH SEAT BEHIND THE FLC. AFTER WE REACHED OUR CRUISE ALT OF 22000 FT (ABOVE THE CLOUDS), THE ENTIRE FLC SETTLED DOWN TO WORK CROSSWORD PUZZLES AND READ NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES. SEVERAL PERIODS OF TIME UP TO 20 MINS EACH PASSED WITHOUT ANY OF THE CREW LOOKING AT THE INSTS OR OUT THE WINDOWS. THIS STRIKES ME AS COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR. ONE CANNOT AVOID WHAT ONE CANNOT SEE AND ONE CANNOT NOTICE THE BEGINNING OF ADVERSE TRENDS IN FLT SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE WITHOUT MONITORING THE INSTS. SURELY AT ALL TIMES AT LEAST ONE PLT'S EYES SHOULD BE ON THE INSTS OR OUTSIDE THE PLANE. AM I WRONG?

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.