Narrative:

We were dispatched for a cargo trip to billings, mt. At that time we assumed we would be taking freight from denver to billings and returning empty. While on the freight ramp in denver a pilot of a 135 operation in billings asked if their chief pilot could ride back with us from billings. We had 1 jump seat installed and available so as a professional favor, we agreed this could be done. After arriving in billings, we were informed that we would be returning another load of cargo to denver. Since the jump seat was still open and available, we agreed to allow the chief pilot to ride back on our aircraft. While we believe this is legal with respect to far 135, however in retrospect, there seems to be enough concern and lack of specific definitions regarding cargo operations in general with certain aircraft, and in addition with carrying a passenger, that we believe this was an unadvisable situation and will not consider allowing a passenger on board in the future. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: spoke to one of the owners of the airline named on the identify slip. They are still not sure whether or not it is legal to allow pilots from other airlines to ride their jump seat but have decided to err on the side of caution. They are rewriting their manual to prohibit such passenger from being carried. This in spite of being assured by an air carrier inspector that it is legal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHIEF PLT OF ANOTHER AIRLINE WAS PERMITTED TO RIDE THE JUMPSEAT. RPTRS ARE NOW CONCERNED THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ILLEGAL.

Narrative: WE WERE DISPATCHED FOR A CARGO TRIP TO BILLINGS, MT. AT THAT TIME WE ASSUMED WE WOULD BE TAKING FREIGHT FROM DENVER TO BILLINGS AND RETURNING EMPTY. WHILE ON THE FREIGHT RAMP IN DENVER A PLT OF A 135 OP IN BILLINGS ASKED IF THEIR CHIEF PLT COULD RIDE BACK WITH US FROM BILLINGS. WE HAD 1 JUMP SEAT INSTALLED AND AVAILABLE SO AS A PROFESSIONAL FAVOR, WE AGREED THIS COULD BE DONE. AFTER ARRIVING IN BILLINGS, WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE WOULD BE RETURNING ANOTHER LOAD OF CARGO TO DENVER. SINCE THE JUMP SEAT WAS STILL OPEN AND AVAILABLE, WE AGREED TO ALLOW THE CHIEF PLT TO RIDE BACK ON OUR ACFT. WHILE WE BELIEVE THIS IS LEGAL WITH RESPECT TO FAR 135, HOWEVER IN RETROSPECT, THERE SEEMS TO BE ENOUGH CONCERN AND LACK OF SPECIFIC DEFINITIONS REGARDING CARGO OPS IN GENERAL WITH CERTAIN ACFT, AND IN ADDITION WITH CARRYING A PAX, THAT WE BELIEVE THIS WAS AN UNADVISABLE SITUATION AND WILL NOT CONSIDER ALLOWING A PAX ON BOARD IN THE FUTURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: SPOKE TO ONE OF THE OWNERS OF THE AIRLINE NAMED ON THE IDENT SLIP. THEY ARE STILL NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT IT IS LEGAL TO ALLOW PLTS FROM OTHER AIRLINES TO RIDE THEIR JUMP SEAT BUT HAVE DECIDED TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION. THEY ARE REWRITING THEIR MANUAL TO PROHIBIT SUCH PAX FROM BEING CARRIED. THIS IN SPITE OF BEING ASSURED BY AN ACR INSPECTOR THAT IT IS LEGAL.

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.