Narrative:

After starting engines with an FAA inspector on jumpseat, an advisory message appeared on screen 'afcas maintenance required.' read message after engine start. No message before engine start during preflight. This was an electronic glitch that had happened on this same aircraft before this flight. All systems were checked and worked normal, thus I continued flight knowing it was only a false indication. Perception -- judgement -- decisions -- since afcas is not really required but only fancy to have I continued the flight, since even WX was clear and VFR everywhere. No MEL in book states anything about afcas inoperative since afcas constitutes entire autoflt system. Even though FAA inspector (he was not aircraft qualified) nodded in agreement as far as indication of afcas was concerned, I don't know what he really thought. The aircraft can be flown safely manually even in IFR WX. After arriving in pit, I started to write up all other little problems, ie, shoulder harness flight attendant seat stuck, etc, I noticed afcas message gone and message screen blank. I can't write up things that don't exist, and only advised maintenance of electronic glitch. I forgot to mention this in the aircraft logbook, since it made no sense to me in the first place. Since first officer flew plane manually during departure and first part en route, I set altitudes for him and he verbally acknowledged each one as they were issued, but he did not point extra with finger to number. When on autoplt I set altitudes and he pulled selector knob with verbal acknowledgement, when he could change altitudes due to setting up FMC constantly. FAA inspector thought, the finger should still be used to point on top of it all. Never was there any doubt or confusion about altitude changes, and both of us were always in the loop. The new altitude awareness program is very nice, but how rigid must it be used?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF ACR MLG FAILED TO RIGIDLY FOLLOW AIRLINE OPERATING PROC WITH AN ACI OBSERVING THE FLT.

Narrative: AFTER STARTING ENGS WITH AN FAA INSPECTOR ON JUMPSEAT, AN ADVISORY MESSAGE APPEARED ON SCREEN 'AFCAS MAINT REQUIRED.' READ MESSAGE AFTER ENG START. NO MESSAGE BEFORE ENG START DURING PREFLT. THIS WAS AN ELECTRONIC GLITCH THAT HAD HAPPENED ON THIS SAME ACFT BEFORE THIS FLT. ALL SYSTEMS WERE CHKED AND WORKED NORMAL, THUS I CONTINUED FLT KNOWING IT WAS ONLY A FALSE INDICATION. PERCEPTION -- JUDGEMENT -- DECISIONS -- SINCE AFCAS IS NOT REALLY REQUIRED BUT ONLY FANCY TO HAVE I CONTINUED THE FLT, SINCE EVEN WX WAS CLR AND VFR EVERYWHERE. NO MEL IN BOOK STATES ANYTHING ABOUT AFCAS INOP SINCE AFCAS CONSTITUTES ENTIRE AUTOFLT SYS. EVEN THOUGH FAA INSPECTOR (HE WAS NOT ACFT QUALIFIED) NODDED IN AGREEMENT AS FAR AS INDICATION OF AFCAS WAS CONCERNED, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE REALLY THOUGHT. THE ACFT CAN BE FLOWN SAFELY MANUALLY EVEN IN IFR WX. AFTER ARRIVING IN PIT, I STARTED TO WRITE UP ALL OTHER LITTLE PROBLEMS, IE, SHOULDER HARNESS FLT ATTENDANT SEAT STUCK, ETC, I NOTICED AFCAS MESSAGE GONE AND MESSAGE SCREEN BLANK. I CAN'T WRITE UP THINGS THAT DON'T EXIST, AND ONLY ADVISED MAINT OF ELECTRONIC GLITCH. I FORGOT TO MENTION THIS IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK, SINCE IT MADE NO SENSE TO ME IN THE FIRST PLACE. SINCE FO FLEW PLANE MANUALLY DURING DEP AND FIRST PART ENRTE, I SET ALTS FOR HIM AND HE VERBALLY ACKNOWLEDGED EACH ONE AS THEY WERE ISSUED, BUT HE DID NOT POINT EXTRA WITH FINGER TO NUMBER. WHEN ON AUTOPLT I SET ALTS AND HE PULLED SELECTOR KNOB WITH VERBAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, WHEN HE COULD CHANGE ALTS DUE TO SETTING UP FMC CONSTANTLY. FAA INSPECTOR THOUGHT, THE FINGER SHOULD STILL BE USED TO POINT ON TOP OF IT ALL. NEVER WAS THERE ANY DOUBT OR CONFUSION ABOUT ALT CHANGES, AND BOTH OF US WERE ALWAYS IN THE LOOP. THE NEW ALT AWARENESS PROGRAM IS VERY NICE, BUT HOW RIGID MUST IT BE USED?

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.