Narrative:

An FAA inspector requested to ride jumpseat from trenton, nj to washington, dc. I asked the gate agents in trenton to bring him to the aircraft early enough to allow us to set up the jumpseat prior to regular passenger boarding. Aci subsequently arrived in operations where I checked his form 110A and he checked my certificates. He then requested to observe the walkaround. I directed him to the ramp area where the first officer had already begun the preflight. I asked the first officer to set up the jumpseat. The jumpseat would not latch in the use position. After the first officer's attempt to latch the jumpseat I also tried but was unsuccessful. Aci stated that he did not want to delay the flight for the jumpseat and requested to situation in the first row, behind the cockpit, using a headset to monitor our procedures. I said that would be okay. Subsequently, I was informed by the F/a that since the passenger load was only 3 people, rows 1 and 2 would be blocked. I then informed aci that he would not be able to use row 1 due to the low passenger load and the need to block rows 1 and 2 for weight and balance purposes. However, I did try to accommodate landing and that after takeoff he would be able to come forward and use the headset and observe. He indicated to me that he intended to do just that. Aci stood at the cockpit door and observed the first flight of the day, the before start and the starting checklists. He then placed his headset over the back of the stowed jumpseat and took a seat in the third row. During taxi and prior to takeoff, I tried to close my door but was unable, because the headset which aci placed over the back of the jumpseat restr me from closing it. I didn't see the need to struggle with the door since I believed that aci was coming forward after takeoff. By the time we reached the cruise segment of the flight (10-15 mins) and aci had not come forward, I requested the F/a to ask him if he was coming to observe as planned. She returned to inform me that he was not, and that he would rather stay in his seat. The F/a subsequently closed my cockpit door. The rest of the flight was conducted with my door closed. Upon arrival in dc, aci did point out 2 areas on the aircraft that needed some minor maintenance. I informed him that I would bring them to the attention of the proper company people. We then said goodbye. I found out that aci had reported the jumpseat problem and procedure just described as a finding to the allentown, PA FSDO, which they are following up on. I left my door open for taxi, takeoff, and climb in order to accommodate the inspector since the jumpseat was unusable. As previously stated, I tried to close it during taxi, but the headset he was going to use restr closing of the door. Instead of struggling with the headset and the door, I decided to leave it open, since I believed aci was coming forward to observe. It appears that either aci had changed his mind about observing or else I misunderstood his intentions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACI WRITES UP COMMUTER FLT CREW FOR HAVING COCKPIT DOOR OPEN DURING TKOF.

Narrative: AN FAA INSPECTOR REQUESTED TO RIDE JUMPSEAT FROM TRENTON, NJ TO WASHINGTON, DC. I ASKED THE GATE AGENTS IN TRENTON TO BRING HIM TO THE ACFT EARLY ENOUGH TO ALLOW US TO SET UP THE JUMPSEAT PRIOR TO REGULAR PAX BOARDING. ACI SUBSEQUENTLY ARRIVED IN OPERATIONS WHERE I CHECKED HIS FORM 110A AND HE CHECKED MY CERTIFICATES. HE THEN REQUESTED TO OBSERVE THE WALKAROUND. I DIRECTED HIM TO THE RAMP AREA WHERE THE F/O HAD ALREADY BEGUN THE PREFLT. I ASKED THE F/O TO SET UP THE JUMPSEAT. THE JUMPSEAT WOULD NOT LATCH IN THE USE POSITION. AFTER THE F/O'S ATTEMPT TO LATCH THE JUMPSEAT I ALSO TRIED BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. ACI STATED THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO DELAY THE FLT FOR THE JUMPSEAT AND REQUESTED TO SIT IN THE FIRST ROW, BEHIND THE COCKPIT, USING A HEADSET TO MONITOR OUR PROCS. I SAID THAT WOULD BE OKAY. SUBSEQUENTLY, I WAS INFORMED BY THE F/A THAT SINCE THE PAX LOAD WAS ONLY 3 PEOPLE, ROWS 1 AND 2 WOULD BE BLOCKED. I THEN INFORMED ACI THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO USE ROW 1 DUE TO THE LOW PAX LOAD AND THE NEED TO BLOCK ROWS 1 AND 2 FOR WEIGHT AND BALANCE PURPOSES. HOWEVER, I DID TRY TO ACCOMMODATE LNDG AND THAT AFTER TKOF HE WOULD BE ABLE TO COME FORWARD AND USE THE HEADSET AND OBSERVE. HE INDICATED TO ME THAT HE INTENDED TO DO JUST THAT. ACI STOOD AT THE COCKPIT DOOR AND OBSERVED THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY, THE BEFORE START AND THE STARTING CHECKLISTS. HE THEN PLACED HIS HEADSET OVER THE BACK OF THE STOWED JUMPSEAT AND TOOK A SEAT IN THE THIRD ROW. DURING TAXI AND PRIOR TO TKOF, I TRIED TO CLOSE MY DOOR BUT WAS UNABLE, BECAUSE THE HEADSET WHICH ACI PLACED OVER THE BACK OF THE JUMPSEAT RESTR ME FROM CLOSING IT. I DIDN'T SEE THE NEED TO STRUGGLE WITH THE DOOR SINCE I BELIEVED THAT ACI WAS COMING FORWARD AFTER TKOF. BY THE TIME WE REACHED THE CRUISE SEGMENT OF THE FLT (10-15 MINS) AND ACI HAD NOT COME FORWARD, I REQUESTED THE F/A TO ASK HIM IF HE WAS COMING TO OBSERVE AS PLANNED. SHE RETURNED TO INFORM ME THAT HE WAS NOT, AND THAT HE WOULD RATHER STAY IN HIS SEAT. THE F/A SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSED MY COCKPIT DOOR. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS CONDUCTED WITH MY DOOR CLOSED. UPON ARRIVAL IN DC, ACI DID POINT OUT 2 AREAS ON THE ACFT THAT NEEDED SOME MINOR MAINT. I INFORMED HIM THAT I WOULD BRING THEM TO THE ATTN OF THE PROPER COMPANY PEOPLE. WE THEN SAID GOODBYE. I FOUND OUT THAT ACI HAD REPORTED THE JUMPSEAT PROBLEM AND PROC JUST DESCRIBED AS A FINDING TO THE ALLENTOWN, PA FSDO, WHICH THEY ARE FOLLOWING UP ON. I LEFT MY DOOR OPEN FOR TAXI, TKOF, AND CLIMB IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE INSPECTOR SINCE THE JUMPSEAT WAS UNUSABLE. AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, I TRIED TO CLOSE IT DURING TAXI, BUT THE HEADSET HE WAS GOING TO USE RESTR CLOSING OF THE DOOR. INSTEAD OF STRUGGLING WITH THE HEADSET AND THE DOOR, I DECIDED TO LEAVE IT OPEN, SINCE I BELIEVED ACI WAS COMING FORWARD TO OBSERVE. IT APPEARS THAT EITHER ACI HAD CHANGED HIS MIND ABOUT OBSERVING OR ELSE I MISUNDERSTOOD HIS INTENTIONS.

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.