Narrative:

I was captain of flight lga to roc 2/89. Upon boarding the aircraft at lga I was met by an FAA air carrier avionics inspector. He performed a ramp check of the aircraft and he informed me that he would be riding my jump seat to roc. I entered the cockpit and while out of earshot of the inspector, my copilot informed me that the inspector had told him the aircraft registration certificate was invalid as it was out of date, more than 90 days since issued in 10/88, but that this was not a big problem. This was a special type of certificate that air carrier a was using because we were changing the north #'south on a lot of the aircraft in the fleet because of the air carrier B merger. The certificate had printed on it that it was not valid after 7/89. Another point of conflict came up when I asked him for his green jump seat pass. He indicated to me that he did not have to have any type pass because he had an FAA air carrier identify card. He agreed that he would fill one out, but that all he really needed was his identify. He also told me that the registration certificate being out of date was no big deal. As I knew that I was being observed and that he was irritated by me insisting that he have a jump seat pass, I decided not to depart lga west/O first discussing the questionable registration certificate with my company. At the same time, I requested permission from my company to deny him authorization to ride the jump seat. The dispatch operational duty manager and maintenance duty manager assured me by special teletype message that in their opinion the registration certificate was valid. They were of the opinion that I could not deny boarding to the inspector except on grounds that he had me so emotionally upset that it might compromise the safety of the flight. I chose not to exercise this option. Flight departed the gate at lga, late because of this, and I still was not sure who was right. The inspector rode the jump seat to roc. This was all occurring at approximately XA30 local time when naturally all high ranking supervisors were not available. This caused a great amount of stress on the captain because I didn't know if I would be violated or not. I believe that this entire dilemma could have been prevented if the air carrier inspector had hung a red flag on the aircraft if he had a problem. If he didn't have a problem, he should have kept his mouth shut. Please call me if I can be of any further assistance in identifying this matter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACI RAMP INSPECTION FIND ACFT REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE FOR ACR MLG OUT OF DATE.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF FLT LGA TO ROC 2/89. UPON BOARDING THE ACFT AT LGA I WAS MET BY AN FAA ACR AVIONICS INSPECTOR. HE PERFORMED A RAMP CHK OF THE ACFT AND HE INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD BE RIDING MY JUMP SEAT TO ROC. I ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND WHILE OUT OF EARSHOT OF THE INSPECTOR, MY COPLT INFORMED ME THAT THE INSPECTOR HAD TOLD HIM THE ACFT REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE WAS INVALID AS IT WAS OUT OF DATE, MORE THAN 90 DAYS SINCE ISSUED IN 10/88, BUT THAT THIS WAS NOT A BIG PROB. THIS WAS A SPECIAL TYPE OF CERTIFICATE THAT ACR A WAS USING BECAUSE WE WERE CHANGING THE N #'S ON A LOT OF THE ACFT IN THE FLEET BECAUSE OF THE ACR B MERGER. THE CERTIFICATE HAD PRINTED ON IT THAT IT WAS NOT VALID AFTER 7/89. ANOTHER POINT OF CONFLICT CAME UP WHEN I ASKED HIM FOR HIS GREEN JUMP SEAT PASS. HE INDICATED TO ME THAT HE DID NOT HAVE TO HAVE ANY TYPE PASS BECAUSE HE HAD AN FAA ACR IDENT CARD. HE AGREED THAT HE WOULD FILL ONE OUT, BUT THAT ALL HE REALLY NEEDED WAS HIS IDENT. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE BEING OUT OF DATE WAS NO BIG DEAL. AS I KNEW THAT I WAS BEING OBSERVED AND THAT HE WAS IRRITATED BY ME INSISTING THAT HE HAVE A JUMP SEAT PASS, I DECIDED NOT TO DEPART LGA W/O FIRST DISCUSSING THE QUESTIONABLE REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE WITH MY COMPANY. AT THE SAME TIME, I REQUESTED PERMISSION FROM MY COMPANY TO DENY HIM AUTHORIZATION TO RIDE THE JUMP SEAT. THE DISPATCH OPERATIONAL DUTY MGR AND MAINT DUTY MGR ASSURED ME BY SPECIAL TELETYPE MESSAGE THAT IN THEIR OPINION THE REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE WAS VALID. THEY WERE OF THE OPINION THAT I COULD NOT DENY BOARDING TO THE INSPECTOR EXCEPT ON GROUNDS THAT HE HAD ME SO EMOTIONALLY UPSET THAT IT MIGHT COMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. I CHOSE NOT TO EXERCISE THIS OPTION. FLT DEPARTED THE GATE AT LGA, LATE BECAUSE OF THIS, AND I STILL WAS NOT SURE WHO WAS RIGHT. THE INSPECTOR RODE THE JUMP SEAT TO ROC. THIS WAS ALL OCCURRING AT APPROX XA30 LCL TIME WHEN NATURALLY ALL HIGH RANKING SUPVRS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THIS CAUSED A GREAT AMOUNT OF STRESS ON THE CAPT BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WOULD BE VIOLATED OR NOT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS ENTIRE DILEMMA COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE ACR INSPECTOR HAD HUNG A RED FLAG ON THE ACFT IF HE HAD A PROB. IF HE DIDN'T HAVE A PROB, HE SHOULD HAVE KEPT HIS MOUTH SHUT. PLEASE CALL ME IF I CAN BE OF ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE IN IDENTIFYING THIS MATTER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.