Narrative:

Upon arrival at gate, after flight and while deplaning passenger, an FAA aci boarded the aircraft--pushed his way into the cockpit and started an inspection. The only thing he could find was a newspaper under the first officer's (copilot) flight bag or kit, exclaiming in glee that he had a 'find' to justify his position of existence! The first officer told the aci that when he, the first officer, got into the cockpit at the previous station, a spilled liquid was seen on the floor, so the paper was obtained and placed on the floor to prevent the flight bag from getting wet and 'wicking' up the fluid. FAA didn't want to accept the explanation (fear of losing his 'find,' I suppose). I suppose the lesson here is to make sure first officer's use towel and not news print to clean up any spills in the cockpit area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OVERLY ENTHUSIASTIC GND INSPECTION OF ACR ACFT AS PASSENGERS ARE DEPLANING.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT GATE, AFTER FLT AND WHILE DEPLANING PAX, AN FAA ACI BOARDED THE ACFT--PUSHED HIS WAY INTO THE COCKPIT AND STARTED AN INSPECTION. THE ONLY THING HE COULD FIND WAS A NEWSPAPER UNDER THE F/O'S (COPLT) FLT BAG OR KIT, EXCLAIMING IN GLEE THAT HE HAD A 'FIND' TO JUSTIFY HIS POS OF EXISTENCE! THE F/O TOLD THE ACI THAT WHEN HE, THE F/O, GOT INTO THE COCKPIT AT THE PREVIOUS STATION, A SPILLED LIQUID WAS SEEN ON THE FLOOR, SO THE PAPER WAS OBTAINED AND PLACED ON THE FLOOR TO PREVENT THE FLT BAG FROM GETTING WET AND 'WICKING' UP THE FLUID. FAA DIDN'T WANT TO ACCEPT THE EXPLANATION (FEAR OF LOSING HIS 'FIND,' I SUPPOSE). I SUPPOSE THE LESSON HERE IS TO MAKE SURE F/O'S USE TOWEL AND NOT NEWS PRINT TO CLEAN UP ANY SPILLS IN THE COCKPIT AREA.

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.