Narrative:

This is regarding flight lgb to phx. On arrival in long beach I was told I would have the FAA riding with us to phoenix. I did a thorough walk around on the aircraft and then proceeded to the cockpit. I provided the inspector my medical license and on all requested information. We performed our normal preflight requirements, and briefings. On takeoff and gear retraction the nose wheel was slow to brake to a stop and we had what I thought were normal sounds and rattles associated with this. It had done this same thing on the leg from phoenix and I thought nothing of it. On the ground in phoenix, the inspector told me he had a problem with this. I feel that the inspectors approach to the entire matter was handled in a very unprofessional manner. Complete with some highly irregular comments and a question and answer session which took place while we were trying to make an altitude restriction. In long beach he told us he had just busted two company pilots on an oral on medium large transport aircraft equipment and then proceeded to tell us what a terrible training program company had and that he was going to shut it down. He also told us that the reason for riding with us was because of the extra time he now had. Over blyth we were cleared to 290 over scole. I left the frequency at this time for ATIS. On returning I found we had now been cleared to FL240 at scole and I went right to the computer to see if we would have a problem making the restriction. We did not have a problem with the restriction but it was in this time frame that the inspector began asking a lot of what I thought were irregular questions. He wanted to know if we made a MEL. Had I looked at it in long beach wasn't a wheel brake required on an medium large transport. He said we had no brake and that he had thought we were getting a stick shaker on takeoff. I told him I would look the MEL item on the ground. I also told him the wheel was slow to stop on the leg from phoenix and I had not thought it unusual and therefore I had no reason to check the MEL. I called phoenix maintenance and told them that the inspector had a problem with this and would they meet the flight at the gate. The inspector told me that he had some big problems with the flight. He said even though we were above 10000' he would not elaborate until on the ground. In phoenix his opening comments were that his main problem was with the first officer over an airspeed irregularity. Then he told me that if the nose wheel brake was in he MEL that he was going to violate me big time. Maintenance snowed up at this time and it turned out that this item was not in the MEL. The inspector then told me he was violating me anyway for not checking. At this time I wrote this item up in the logbook for my protection. Maintenance replaced the brakes which were intact but worn. He also told me that I could not have told how much wear was on the brake from the visibility inspections we had done in phoenix and long beach. In closing I told the inspector that in my judgement their had not been anything out of the ordinary happen that would warrant me referencing the MEL. His response was that there was no room for judgement on this and that I would be hearing from the FAA by mail.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT'S COMPLAINT ABOUT ACI'S HANDLING OF A ROUTINE CHECK RIDE.

Narrative: THIS IS REGARDING FLT LGB TO PHX. ON ARR IN LONG BEACH I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE THE FAA RIDING WITH US TO PHOENIX. I DID A THOROUGH WALK AROUND ON THE ACFT AND THEN PROCEEDED TO THE COCKPIT. I PROVIDED THE INSPECTOR MY MEDICAL LICENSE AND ON ALL REQUESTED INFO. WE PERFORMED OUR NORMAL PREFLT REQUIREMENTS, AND BRIEFINGS. ON TKOF AND GEAR RETRACTION THE NOSE WHEEL WAS SLOW TO BRAKE TO A STOP AND WE HAD WHAT I THOUGHT WERE NORMAL SOUNDS AND RATTLES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS. IT HAD DONE THIS SAME THING ON THE LEG FROM PHOENIX AND I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. ON THE GND IN PHOENIX, THE INSPECTOR TOLD ME HE HAD A PROB WITH THIS. I FEEL THAT THE INSPECTORS APCH TO THE ENTIRE MATTER WAS HANDLED IN A VERY UNPROFESSIONAL MANNER. COMPLETE WITH SOME HIGHLY IRREGULAR COMMENTS AND A QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION WHICH TOOK PLACE WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE AN ALT RESTRICTION. IN LONG BEACH HE TOLD US HE HAD JUST BUSTED TWO COMPANY PLTS ON AN ORAL ON MLG ACFT EQUIP AND THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL US WHAT A TERRIBLE TRNING PROGRAM COMPANY HAD AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO SHUT IT DOWN. HE ALSO TOLD US THAT THE REASON FOR RIDING WITH US WAS BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA TIME HE NOW HAD. OVER BLYTH WE WERE CLRED TO 290 OVER SCOLE. I L THE FREQ AT THIS TIME FOR ATIS. ON RETURNING I FOUND WE HAD NOW BEEN CLRED TO FL240 AT SCOLE AND I WENT R TO THE COMPUTER TO SEE IF WE WOULD HAVE A PROB MAKING THE RESTRICTION. WE DID NOT HAVE A PROB WITH THE RESTRICTION BUT IT WAS IN THIS TIME FRAME THAT THE INSPECTOR BEGAN ASKING A LOT OF WHAT I THOUGHT WERE IRREGULAR QUESTIONS. HE WANTED TO KNOW IF WE MADE A MEL. HAD I LOOKED AT IT IN LONG BEACH WASN'T A WHEEL BRAKE REQUIRED ON AN MLG. HE SAID WE HAD NO BRAKE AND THAT HE HAD THOUGHT WE WERE GETTING A STICK SHAKER ON TKOF. I TOLD HIM I WOULD LOOK THE MEL ITEM ON THE GND. I ALSO TOLD HIM THE WHEEL WAS SLOW TO STOP ON THE LEG FROM PHOENIX AND I HAD NOT THOUGHT IT UNUSUAL AND THEREFORE I HAD NO REASON TO CHK THE MEL. I CALLED PHOENIX MAINT AND TOLD THEM THAT THE INSPECTOR HAD A PROB WITH THIS AND WOULD THEY MEET THE FLT AT THE GATE. THE INSPECTOR TOLD ME THAT HE HAD SOME BIG PROBS WITH THE FLT. HE SAID EVEN THOUGH WE WERE ABOVE 10000' HE WOULD NOT ELABORATE UNTIL ON THE GND. IN PHOENIX HIS OPENING COMMENTS WERE THAT HIS MAIN PROB WAS WITH THE F/O OVER AN AIRSPD IRREGULARITY. THEN HE TOLD ME THAT IF THE NOSE WHEEL BRAKE WAS IN HE MEL THAT HE WAS GOING TO VIOLATE ME BIG TIME. MAINT SNOWED UP AT THIS TIME AND IT TURNED OUT THAT THIS ITEM WAS NOT IN THE MEL. THE INSPECTOR THEN TOLD ME HE WAS VIOLATING ME ANYWAY FOR NOT CHKING. AT THIS TIME I WROTE THIS ITEM UP IN THE LOGBOOK FOR MY PROTECTION. MAINT REPLACED THE BRAKES WHICH WERE INTACT BUT WORN. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT I COULD NOT HAVE TOLD HOW MUCH WEAR WAS ON THE BRAKE FROM THE VIS INSPECTIONS WE HAD DONE IN PHOENIX AND LONG BEACH. IN CLOSING I TOLD THE INSPECTOR THAT IN MY JUDGEMENT THEIR HAD NOT BEEN ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY HAPPEN THAT WOULD WARRANT ME REFERENCING THE MEL. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR JUDGEMENT ON THIS AND THAT I WOULD BE HEARING FROM THE FAA BY MAIL.

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.