EMB ERJ 170/175 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Physiological - Other; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Time Pressure
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Security; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
On an almost 4.5 hour flight. Both the Captain and I had to go to the restroom. I went first. The procedures were followed. When I was finished and ready to come back in the cockpit the Flight Attendant called up said the code word and while waiting for the other Flight Attendant to come out; I looked up and the Captain was walking out. I ran in; sat down and buckled up and got settled. Upon the Captain coming back the rest of the procedures were followed. I explained to the Captain that was not the procedure; he agreed and understood his mistake. Both the Captain and I are fairly new on the airplane. Maybe in indoctrination or sim; we could run through the procedures in the actual airplane as to better perform them.
We were given a reroute due to weather which took us up near Chicago and required us to obtain more fuel. This made an already long flight even longer. The total flight time was near 4.5 hours. ...I had to go to the bathroom so bad at this point that for some reason I got up and exited the cockpit as the First Officer was coming into the cockpit. We passed each other near the back of the cockpit and I realized my mistake.
When their flight was made longer due to a weather reroute both pilots aboard an ERJ-170 found themselves in dire need of physiological relief shortly before TOD. Their attempts to utilize proper security protocols while still expediting access to the facilities ran amok when they passed each other at the cockpit door during the figurative baton pass.