Definition
A cockpit workload-management technique in which a pilot physically blocks the face of a failed or unreliable flight instrument so that its erroneous indication cannot be inadvertently used during the remainder of the flight. The cover is typically an opaque object such as a sticky note, a piece of paper, a suction cup, or a purpose-made instrument cover.
Plain English
If an instrument breaks or starts giving wrong readings in flight, you put something over its face so you can't accidentally look at it and trust what it says.
Context Anchor
Used during instrument-failure training, abnormal procedures, and real flights when a cockpit gauge or display becomes unreliable.
Why Pilots Care
Removes the risk of following false instrument data that could produce spatial disorientation or loss of control.
Intuition Check
Covering a failed instrument does not fix it or make the failure unimportant. It simply removes a misleading cue from view so the pilot is less likely to fly using bad information.
Example Sentence 1
When the attitude indicator began to roll lazily on its own, the pilot stuck a Post-it note over the face and continued the flight on partial panel.
Example Sentence 2
Standard procedure calls for covering failed instruments immediately so the remaining instruments can be scanned without distraction.