Air carrier flight crew questioned and admonished for not having current airport charts.

Attributes
ACN	148224
Time
Date	199006
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	148224
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	observation : air carrier inspector
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

Ramp check by FAA for routine items, license, medical and publications. My commercial chart was posted through change 25. When I returned to home airport my file contained change 26, dated 6/8/90. Even though there was no information pertinent to the flight in the change, the FAA has been overzealous and unreasonable when checking publications for currency. Unless these changes are sent overnight mail to the individual, a more reasonable approach by the FAA needs to be taken. The topic of conversation for the rest of the day was wondering whether we had the current change. As it was, we (captain and I) did not. Some form of grace period should be observed before the FAA starts issuing citations for out of date publications, or make the effective date of the publication 2 weeks (as a minimums) after the mailing date.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW QUESTIONED AND ADMONISHED FOR NOT HAVING CURRENT ARPT CHARTS.

Narrative: RAMP CHK BY FAA FOR ROUTINE ITEMS, LICENSE, MEDICAL AND PUBLICATIONS. MY COMMERCIAL CHART WAS POSTED THROUGH CHANGE 25. WHEN I RETURNED TO HOME ARPT MY FILE CONTAINED CHANGE 26, DATED 6/8/90. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO INFO PERTINENT TO THE FLT IN THE CHANGE, THE FAA HAS BEEN OVERZEALOUS AND UNREASONABLE WHEN CHKING PUBLICATIONS FOR CURRENCY. UNLESS THESE CHANGES ARE SENT OVERNIGHT MAIL TO THE INDIVIDUAL, A MORE REASONABLE APCH BY THE FAA NEEDS TO BE TAKEN. THE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WAS WONDERING WHETHER WE HAD THE CURRENT CHANGE. AS IT WAS, WE (CAPT AND I) DID NOT. SOME FORM OF GRACE PERIOD SHOULD BE OBSERVED BEFORE THE FAA STARTS ISSUING CITATIONS FOR OUT OF DATE PUBLICATIONS, OR MAKE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE PUBLICATION 2 WKS (AS A MINIMUMS) AFTER THE MAILING DATE.

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.