Narrative:

We were scheduled for flight time of XA14. Midway through the flight, and consistent with FARS and regulations, each of us opted, at separate times, to leave the flight deck for reasons of physiological comfort and alertness. At no time was any crew member off the flight deck for more than 5 mins. The captain left the cockpit twice during the flight and the first officer and so once each. All sorties were during cruise at FL350 or FL370, with no turbulence or meteorological concerns. A first class passenger, claiming to be an accident investigator, remarked to the first flight attendant that he was writing to the FAA to report crew leaving their stations excessively during the flight. When advised of this, the captain proceeded back to the cabin to explain the regulations concerning fatigue, relief, etc. The passenger staunchly insisted that we were in violation of the FARS and he was reporting the incident to the FAA. Pressure to keep crews in cockpits during long, uneventful flts jeopardizes safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 IDENTICAL RPTS INDICATE A PAX HAS THREATENED TO RPT TO THE FAA THAT THE FLC LEFT THE COCKPIT TOO OFTEN DURING CRUISE FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL REASONS.

Narrative: WE WERE SCHEDULED FOR FLT TIME OF XA14. MIDWAY THROUGH THE FLT, AND CONSISTENT WITH FARS AND REGS, EACH OF US OPTED, AT SEPARATE TIMES, TO LEAVE THE FLT DECK FOR REASONS OF PHYSIOLOGICAL COMFORT AND ALERTNESS. AT NO TIME WAS ANY CREW MEMBER OFF THE FLT DECK FOR MORE THAN 5 MINS. THE CAPT LEFT THE COCKPIT TWICE DURING THE FLT AND THE FO AND SO ONCE EACH. ALL SORTIES WERE DURING CRUISE AT FL350 OR FL370, WITH NO TURB OR METEOROLOGICAL CONCERNS. A FIRST CLASS PAX, CLAIMING TO BE AN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR, REMARKED TO THE FIRST FLT ATTENDANT THAT HE WAS WRITING TO THE FAA TO RPT CREW LEAVING THEIR STATIONS EXCESSIVELY DURING THE FLT. WHEN ADVISED OF THIS, THE CAPT PROCEEDED BACK TO THE CABIN TO EXPLAIN THE REGS CONCERNING FATIGUE, RELIEF, ETC. THE PAX STAUNCHLY INSISTED THAT WE WERE IN VIOLATION OF THE FARS AND HE WAS RPTING THE INCIDENT TO THE FAA. PRESSURE TO KEEP CREWS IN COCKPITS DURING LONG, UNEVENTFUL FLTS JEOPARDIZES SAFETY.

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.