Is it my imagination or is there a growing trend of crashes and incidents due to:
The flight crew's failure to monitor the airplane’s radio and instruments and the progress of the flight after becoming distracted by conversations and activities unrelated to the operation of the flight.
Just for starters I am thinking of the Buffalo, Lexington and the other CJ crash recently where the crew neglected take off flaps and aborted the take off. IIRC they all had an element of non-essential conversation at critical times as a factor.
If correct there would seem to be a need for sterile cockpit rules to be extended and enforced.
Yes, I know that they are not meant to apply to an aircraft at cruise altitude but a bit of crew self-discipline would not go astray.