Narrative:

I went to departure gate to introduce myself ot the passenger agent and found her extremely upset. An FAA inspector had demanded access to the aircraft, and when she was hesitant to permit him to board, since no one was on the aircraft, he left angrily. She and I discussed the matter briefly before I left to make a personal phone call. The agent called for a TR supervisor. When I returned to the gate area the door to the jetway was open and the passenger were all standing waiting to board. The agent told me the FAA inspector had ordered her not to board the passenger until he had finished his preflight. I started down the jetway and met the individual in question. As we approached I extended my hand and said, 'hi, I'm the captain.' he did not acknowledge my offer to shake hands, did not have any identify visible, nor did he offer any introduction. Instead, his first words to me were, 'are you the captain on this...' when I said yes, he said he had been called to ride this flight to okc in order to conduct an IOE and he was not comfortable riding on any aircraft he had not preflted, and therefore had ordered the boarding delayed until he had finished his preflight. I told him the second officer was fully qualified to preflight the aircraft, and we could not afford to delay boarding if we expected to make an on-time departure. He became very angry and started to argue with me. It was at this pint I told him he could ride in the passenger cabin, but not in the cockpit. His comment was, 'that sounds like a good idea.' he left and disappeared in the crowd. Since he was using this flight only for transportation to okc, denying him access to the cockpit in no way interfered with his duty assignment. It is worth noting again that he had no visible identify, made no effort to introduce himself to me, and during our brief meeting showed extreme antagonism. Considering the situation, and the manner he had conducted himself, I felt in the interest of safety he should not be in the cockpit where his presence would be a disruptive factor. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: aci involved filed a violation against captain for denying him access to cockpit. Later asked for an inform off the record meeting with captain. Captain's chief pilot and standards pilot sat in on the meeting. Most conversation was between chief pilot and aci, who apparently wants to drop the violation processing. Passenger agent and her supervisor had submitted reports re: the FAA/aci's behavior, as well as captain report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA ACI HELD UP PASSENGER BOARDING UNTIL HE HAD PREFLTED ACFT TO HIS SATISFACTION. CAPT PROTESTED AND DENIED THE ACI ACCESS TO THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: I WENT TO DEP GATE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF OT THE PAX AGENT AND FOUND HER EXTREMELY UPSET. AN FAA INSPECTOR HAD DEMANDED ACCESS TO THE ACFT, AND WHEN SHE WAS HESITANT TO PERMIT HIM TO BOARD, SINCE NO ONE WAS ON THE ACFT, HE LEFT ANGRILY. SHE AND I DISCUSSED THE MATTER BRIEFLY BEFORE I LEFT TO MAKE A PERSONAL PHONE CALL. THE AGENT CALLED FOR A TR SUPVR. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE GATE AREA THE DOOR TO THE JETWAY WAS OPEN AND THE PAX WERE ALL STANDING WAITING TO BOARD. THE AGENT TOLD ME THE FAA INSPECTOR HAD ORDERED HER NOT TO BOARD THE PAX UNTIL HE HAD FINISHED HIS PREFLT. I STARTED DOWN THE JETWAY AND MET THE INDIVIDUAL IN QUESTION. AS WE APCHED I EXTENDED MY HAND AND SAID, 'HI, I'M THE CAPT.' HE DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE MY OFFER TO SHAKE HANDS, DID NOT HAVE ANY IDENT VISIBLE, NOR DID HE OFFER ANY INTRODUCTION. INSTEAD, HIS FIRST WORDS TO ME WERE, 'ARE YOU THE CAPT ON THIS...' WHEN I SAID YES, HE SAID HE HAD BEEN CALLED TO RIDE THIS FLT TO OKC IN ORDER TO CONDUCT AN IOE AND HE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE RIDING ON ANY ACFT HE HAD NOT PREFLTED, AND THEREFORE HAD ORDERED THE BOARDING DELAYED UNTIL HE HAD FINISHED HIS PREFLT. I TOLD HIM THE S/O WAS FULLY QUALIFIED TO PREFLT THE ACFT, AND WE COULD NOT AFFORD TO DELAY BOARDING IF WE EXPECTED TO MAKE AN ON-TIME DEP. HE BECAME VERY ANGRY AND STARTED TO ARGUE WITH ME. IT WAS AT THIS PINT I TOLD HIM HE COULD RIDE IN THE PAX CABIN, BUT NOT IN THE COCKPIT. HIS COMMENT WAS, 'THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA.' HE LEFT AND DISAPPEARED IN THE CROWD. SINCE HE WAS USING THIS FLT ONLY FOR TRANSPORTATION TO OKC, DENYING HIM ACCESS TO THE COCKPIT IN NO WAY INTERFERED WITH HIS DUTY ASSIGNMENT. IT IS WORTH NOTING AGAIN THAT HE HAD NO VISIBLE IDENT, MADE NO EFFORT TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF TO ME, AND DURING OUR BRIEF MEETING SHOWED EXTREME ANTAGONISM. CONSIDERING THE SITUATION, AND THE MANNER HE HAD CONDUCTED HIMSELF, I FELT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY HE SHOULD NOT BE IN THE COCKPIT WHERE HIS PRESENCE WOULD BE A DISRUPTIVE FACTOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ACI INVOLVED FILED A VIOLATION AGAINST CAPT FOR DENYING HIM ACCESS TO COCKPIT. LATER ASKED FOR AN INFORM OFF THE RECORD MEETING WITH CAPT. CAPT'S CHIEF PLT AND STANDARDS PLT SAT IN ON THE MEETING. MOST CONVERSATION WAS BTWN CHIEF PLT AND ACI, WHO APPARENTLY WANTS TO DROP THE VIOLATION PROCESSING. PAX AGENT AND HER SUPVR HAD SUBMITTED RPTS RE: THE FAA/ACI'S BEHAVIOR, AS WELL AS CAPT RPT.

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.