Narrative:

An FAA inspector (maintenance) presented his identify and asked the flight attendant to speak to the captain. When the flight attendant told me I asked why, and was it really necessary. She said he had not indicated why but said it would only take a second. I said it would be ok but only if really necessary. The inspector came to the cockpit, introduced himself, assured me that it wasn't an airworthiness item or a safety of flight matter but that he wanted to make sure I knew about the row of seats that were too close together. He stated that he would call the airlines pi mon to make sure it was followed up. He was probably in the cockpit for about 2 mins, but I feel this was a totally unnecessary distraction to the flight crew during a short segment flight (45 mins) with an ILS to mins waiting for us at our destination. I knew about the seats and a mechanic had looked at them just prior to departure. The FAA inspector was sitting north the next row and had seen the mechanic look at the seats.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA MAINT INSPECTOR REQUESTED ENTRANCE TO COCKPIT TO ADVISE CAPT OF A CABIN SEAT IRREGULARITY.

Narrative: AN FAA INSPECTOR (MAINT) PRESENTED HIS IDENT AND ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO SPEAK TO THE CAPT. WHEN THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME I ASKED WHY, AND WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY. SHE SAID HE HAD NOT INDICATED WHY BUT SAID IT WOULD ONLY TAKE A SECOND. I SAID IT WOULD BE OK BUT ONLY IF REALLY NECESSARY. THE INSPECTOR CAME TO THE COCKPIT, INTRODUCED HIMSELF, ASSURED ME THAT IT WASN'T AN AIRWORTHINESS ITEM OR A SAFETY OF FLT MATTER BUT THAT HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE I KNEW ABOUT THE ROW OF SEATS THAT WERE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. HE STATED THAT HE WOULD CALL THE AIRLINES PI MON TO MAKE SURE IT WAS FOLLOWED UP. HE WAS PROBABLY IN THE COCKPIT FOR ABOUT 2 MINS, BUT I FEEL THIS WAS A TOTALLY UNNECESSARY DISTR TO THE FLC DURING A SHORT SEGMENT FLT (45 MINS) WITH AN ILS TO MINS WAITING FOR US AT OUR DEST. I KNEW ABOUT THE SEATS AND A MECH HAD LOOKED AT THEM JUST PRIOR TO DEP. THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS SITTING N THE NEXT ROW AND HAD SEEN THE MECH LOOK AT THE SEATS.

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.