Narrative:

This situation occurred 4/90 on airlines flight, a charter flight from fpo to detroit. This charter flight was contracted by a detroit tour operator and is accompanied by one of the tour agents. Upon completion of preflight duties, I returned to the cockpit to find the tour agent in charge of this flight sitting in the cockpit jump seat. The agent asked if she could situation in the cockpit for takeoff. I thought the request was reasonable due to the flight being a charter and polled the first officer and F/east. Neither flight crew member expressed any objections. The tour agent was given a briefing. Taxi, takeoff and climb was uneventful and after passing 10000' MSL the tour agent returned to the passenger cabin. Upon passenger deplaning at detroit, a passenger questioned the first officer concerning airlines policy concerning use of the cockpit jump seat. This passenger's genuine concern about this issue caused us to closely review the airlines operations manual for both acm authority and charter operations. I had been wrong in allowing this use of the cockpit acm seat. In reviewing this situation, a charter flight which has a lesser degree of direct company support and greater authority and responsibilities for the captain led to my decision to authorize the use of the cockpit acm seat.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW ON A CHARTER FLT ALLOWED TOUR DIRECTOR TO RIDE IN THE COCKPIT FOR TKOF AND LNDG.

Narrative: THIS SITUATION OCCURRED 4/90 ON AIRLINES FLT, A CHARTER FLT FROM FPO TO DETROIT. THIS CHARTER FLT WAS CONTRACTED BY A DETROIT TOUR OPERATOR AND IS ACCOMPANIED BY ONE OF THE TOUR AGENTS. UPON COMPLETION OF PREFLT DUTIES, I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TO FIND THE TOUR AGENT IN CHARGE OF THIS FLT SITTING IN THE COCKPIT JUMP SEAT. THE AGENT ASKED IF SHE COULD SIT IN THE COCKPIT FOR TKOF. I THOUGHT THE REQUEST WAS REASONABLE DUE TO THE FLT BEING A CHARTER AND POLLED THE F/O AND F/E. NEITHER FLT CREW MEMBER EXPRESSED ANY OBJECTIONS. THE TOUR AGENT WAS GIVEN A BRIEFING. TAXI, TKOF AND CLB WAS UNEVENTFUL AND AFTER PASSING 10000' MSL THE TOUR AGENT RETURNED TO THE PAX CABIN. UPON PAX DEPLANING AT DETROIT, A PAX QUESTIONED THE F/O CONCERNING AIRLINES POLICY CONCERNING USE OF THE COCKPIT JUMP SEAT. THIS PAX'S GENUINE CONCERN ABOUT THIS ISSUE CAUSED US TO CLOSELY REVIEW THE AIRLINES OPS MANUAL FOR BOTH ACM AUTHORITY AND CHARTER OPS. I HAD BEEN WRONG IN ALLOWING THIS USE OF THE COCKPIT ACM SEAT. IN REVIEWING THIS SITUATION, A CHARTER FLT WHICH HAS A LESSER DEGREE OF DIRECT COMPANY SUPPORT AND GREATER AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE CAPT LED TO MY DECISION TO AUTHORIZE THE USE OF THE COCKPIT ACM SEAT.

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