Narrative:

After landing at dsm airport later than scheduled we had a small mechanical problem with a valve light. While trying to do a quick turn, and get back on schedule, along with fixing our aircraft, an FAA inspector showed up for line check. While trying to get the flight out, the inspector when through the cabin and checked all seat tension, cart brakes, manuals, and registration, etc. Then while performing our cockpit duties required for maintenance placarding of our problem, the inspector asked to see our licenses, etc, and made unassociated comments about our mechanical problem while running our engine. While trying to do my post preflight duties the inspector was in the way and slowed our turn-around considerably. While he checked the captain and copilot's license, etc. I was preflting the aircraft. When done he asked me, 'how did it look?' I told him everything looked ok. He then asked while trying to finish my cockpit clean-up checklist, 'what about the hydraulic leak in the left wheel well?' I told him I had not seen any leak, but that if he thought he saw something I would definitely go back and check again after we finished running our engine for its check and I finished my other duties. When those were finished I showed my license and medical, I went back down to check the supposed hydraulic leak. The inspector went back down, stepped in front of me, wiped his finger on a dirty line, then stuck it in my face and went back upstairs. I followed and he asked inside the aircraft again, 'what was that?' I explained that I did not feel at all that there was a leak, and how to spot a hydraulic leak. He answered argumentatively, 'I don't buy that!', giving the unknowing F/a's a lack of trust in their F/east and to the airworthiness of the aircraft. At this point I decided that the inspector felt I wasn't as qualified on this aircraft as he was so I had the captain write up to check for a supposed leak. My grievance is the interruption of my duties as a licensed, experience F/east during my preflight and engine run-up duties by this FAA inspector. He also broke down the communication and trust between the F/a's and their feelings toward the aircraft, and their F/east's ability to preflight na aircraft. The aircraft ended up being grounded because of the write-up and maintenance time to check everything. We switched aircraft when the next plane came in. The crew ended up losing our whole trip (3 days). The passenger (that were left) missed connections. The airline was disrupted because of a needlessly lost aircraft and different positioning of the 2 aircraft than planned. I have had numerous FAA line checks and never had a problem. The inspectors were always respectful of our jobs and duties and did a good job. This inspector was just the opp and did not promote safety, he impeded it!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SO COMPLAINS OF INTERFERING ACI.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AT DSM ARPT LATER THAN SCHEDULED WE HAD A SMALL MECHANICAL PROB WITH A VALVE LIGHT. WHILE TRYING TO DO A QUICK TURN, AND GET BACK ON SCHEDULE, ALONG WITH FIXING OUR ACFT, AN FAA INSPECTOR SHOWED UP FOR LINE CHK. WHILE TRYING TO GET THE FLT OUT, THE INSPECTOR WHEN THROUGH THE CABIN AND CHKED ALL SEAT TENSION, CART BRAKES, MANUALS, AND REGISTRATION, ETC. THEN WHILE PERFORMING OUR COCKPIT DUTIES REQUIRED FOR MAINT PLACARDING OF OUR PROB, THE INSPECTOR ASKED TO SEE OUR LICENSES, ETC, AND MADE UNASSOCIATED COMMENTS ABOUT OUR MECHANICAL PROB WHILE RUNNING OUR ENG. WHILE TRYING TO DO MY POST PREFLT DUTIES THE INSPECTOR WAS IN THE WAY AND SLOWED OUR TURN-AROUND CONSIDERABLY. WHILE HE CHKED THE CAPT AND COPLT'S LICENSE, ETC. I WAS PREFLTING THE ACFT. WHEN DONE HE ASKED ME, 'HOW DID IT LOOK?' I TOLD HIM EVERYTHING LOOKED OK. HE THEN ASKED WHILE TRYING TO FINISH MY COCKPIT CLEAN-UP CHKLIST, 'WHAT ABOUT THE HYD LEAK IN THE LEFT WHEEL WELL?' I TOLD HIM I HAD NOT SEEN ANY LEAK, BUT THAT IF HE THOUGHT HE SAW SOMETHING I WOULD DEFINITELY GO BACK AND CHK AGAIN AFTER WE FINISHED RUNNING OUR ENG FOR ITS CHK AND I FINISHED MY OTHER DUTIES. WHEN THOSE WERE FINISHED I SHOWED MY LICENSE AND MEDICAL, I WENT BACK DOWN TO CHK THE SUPPOSED HYD LEAK. THE INSPECTOR WENT BACK DOWN, STEPPED IN FRONT OF ME, WIPED HIS FINGER ON A DIRTY LINE, THEN STUCK IT IN MY FACE AND WENT BACK UPSTAIRS. I FOLLOWED AND HE ASKED INSIDE THE ACFT AGAIN, 'WHAT WAS THAT?' I EXPLAINED THAT I DID NOT FEEL AT ALL THAT THERE WAS A LEAK, AND HOW TO SPOT A HYD LEAK. HE ANSWERED ARGUMENTATIVELY, 'I DON'T BUY THAT!', GIVING THE UNKNOWING F/A'S A LACK OF TRUST IN THEIR F/E AND TO THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT. AT THIS POINT I DECIDED THAT THE INSPECTOR FELT I WASN'T AS QUALIFIED ON THIS ACFT AS HE WAS SO I HAD THE CAPT WRITE UP TO CHK FOR A SUPPOSED LEAK. MY GRIEVANCE IS THE INTERRUPTION OF MY DUTIES AS A LICENSED, EXPERIENCE F/E DURING MY PREFLT AND ENG RUN-UP DUTIES BY THIS FAA INSPECTOR. HE ALSO BROKE DOWN THE COM AND TRUST BTWN THE F/A'S AND THEIR FEELINGS TOWARD THE ACFT, AND THEIR F/E'S ABILITY TO PREFLT NA ACFT. THE ACFT ENDED UP BEING GNDED BECAUSE OF THE WRITE-UP AND MAINT TIME TO CHK EVERYTHING. WE SWITCHED ACFT WHEN THE NEXT PLANE CAME IN. THE CREW ENDED UP LOSING OUR WHOLE TRIP (3 DAYS). THE PAX (THAT WERE LEFT) MISSED CONNECTIONS. THE AIRLINE WAS DISRUPTED BECAUSE OF A NEEDLESSLY LOST ACFT AND DIFFERENT POSITIONING OF THE 2 ACFT THAN PLANNED. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS FAA LINE CHKS AND NEVER HAD A PROB. THE INSPECTORS WERE ALWAYS RESPECTFUL OF OUR JOBS AND DUTIES AND DID A GOOD JOB. THIS INSPECTOR WAS JUST THE OPP AND DID NOT PROMOTE SAFETY, HE IMPEDED IT!

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.