In 1981, the Federal Aviation Administration established the sterile cockpit rule requiring pilots to refrain from non-essential activities during critical phases of flight. When this rule is broken, the resulting distraction can be deadly. Passengers fight for their lives inside a burning plane at Dallas Fort Worth Airport. A brand new L-1011 crashes in a remote swamp in the Florida Everglades. And, during a demonstration flight, a brand new Russian Superjet slams into a mountain south of Jakarta.
