Narrative:

After landing las and preparing for flight las-bur, FAA inspector met me in jetway and informed me he would be conducting ramp inspection of our aircraft and crew. He immediately noticed seatbelts improperly stowed and protruding from forward F/a jumpseat. He explained that this was a violation of far's in that it would impede exit in emergency form forward entry door. Although I thought that the chances of any problems with this seatbelt to be nonexistent, I immediately stowed the seatbelts correctly. He then boarded the aircraft and noticed only 2 F/a's of 3 on board. He indicated to the F/a at fwd entry door that 3 F/a's were required to deplane and enplane passenger. The F/a explained that the senior F/a had left the aircraft to escort an unaccompanied minor to meet her party at gate counter in accordance with company procedures. She pointed out that when the senior had left the aircraft with the unaccompanied minor, they were the first ones off the aircraft also in accordance with company procedures. The inspector then came to cockpit and copied down my and the first officer's credentials. As he was exiting cockpit, he became extremely upset as the aircraft was being boarded now with only 2 F/a's. The parents of unaccompanied minor had not shown up, so senior F/a was still busy handing over minor to our ground personnel. To appease the inspector, I stopped the boarding process until senior returned, resulting in a 5 min delay of our departure. Inspector exited jetway into terminal and spoke with senior F/a, operations agent working flight and operations supervisor, who explained our procedures. No violation of far's was intended in this incident and any perceived violations were corrected as soon as this inspector pointed them out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON QUICK TURN AROUND HAS FAA INSPECTOR DO A RAMP CHECK.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG LAS AND PREPARING FOR FLT LAS-BUR, FAA INSPECTOR MET ME IN JETWAY AND INFORMED ME HE WOULD BE CONDUCTING RAMP INSPECTION OF OUR ACFT AND CREW. HE IMMEDIATELY NOTICED SEATBELTS IMPROPERLY STOWED AND PROTRUDING FROM FORWARD F/A JUMPSEAT. HE EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS A VIOLATION OF FAR'S IN THAT IT WOULD IMPEDE EXIT IN EMER FORM FORWARD ENTRY DOOR. ALTHOUGH I THOUGHT THAT THE CHANCES OF ANY PROBS WITH THIS SEATBELT TO BE NONEXISTENT, I IMMEDIATELY STOWED THE SEATBELTS CORRECTLY. HE THEN BOARDED THE ACFT AND NOTICED ONLY 2 F/A'S OF 3 ON BOARD. HE INDICATED TO THE F/A AT FWD ENTRY DOOR THAT 3 F/A'S WERE REQUIRED TO DEPLANE AND ENPLANE PAX. THE F/A EXPLAINED THAT THE SENIOR F/A HAD LEFT THE ACFT TO ESCORT AN UNACCOMPANIED MINOR TO MEET HER PARTY AT GATE COUNTER IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY PROCS. SHE POINTED OUT THAT WHEN THE SENIOR HAD LEFT THE ACFT WITH THE UNACCOMPANIED MINOR, THEY WERE THE FIRST ONES OFF THE ACFT ALSO IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY PROCS. THE INSPECTOR THEN CAME TO COCKPIT AND COPIED DOWN MY AND THE F/O'S CREDENTIALS. AS HE WAS EXITING COCKPIT, HE BECAME EXTREMELY UPSET AS THE ACFT WAS BEING BOARDED NOW WITH ONLY 2 F/A'S. THE PARENTS OF UNACCOMPANIED MINOR HAD NOT SHOWN UP, SO SENIOR F/A WAS STILL BUSY HANDING OVER MINOR TO OUR GND PERSONNEL. TO APPEASE THE INSPECTOR, I STOPPED THE BOARDING PROCESS UNTIL SENIOR RETURNED, RESULTING IN A 5 MIN DELAY OF OUR DEP. INSPECTOR EXITED JETWAY INTO TERMINAL AND SPOKE WITH SENIOR F/A, OPS AGENT WORKING FLT AND OPS SUPVR, WHO EXPLAINED OUR PROCS. NO VIOLATION OF FAR'S WAS INTENDED IN THIS INCIDENT AND ANY PERCEIVED VIOLATIONS WERE CORRECTED AS SOON AS THIS INSPECTOR POINTED THEM OUT.

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.