Narrative:

During the preflight inspection I noted no discrepancies with the aircraft during my exterior walkaround inspection. It had rained heavily the night before and there were several small water puddles on the ground around the aircraft. Upon returning to the cockpit, I proceeded with my interior cockpit preflight inspection and once again no discrepancies were noted. About 30 mins after my exterior preflight and about 10 mins before scheduled pushback, an FAA maintenance inspector came up to the cockpit and informed us that he had noticed a fuel leak under the trailing edge of the right wing. I joined the inspector outside the aircraft for a further inspection of the suspected fuel leak and once again, didn't note anything other than some condensation which typically forms under the wing. Upon much closer examination, however, we did notice a very little amount of seepage confined to a very small area on the bottom trailing edge of the wing. There was also a very small puddle underneath that area, which I did not notice when I completed my exterior preflight. Upon closer examination and investigation by air carrier maintenance personnel this small amount of seepage was found to be within normal limits and after a 40 min delay, we continued our flight to atlanta uneventfully. During our entire 40 min delay on the ground in boston, the FAA inspector acted very rude and unprofessional towards both myself and the air carrier maintenance personnel. At 1 point he even threatened me with 1 month off and violation for not noticing the leak earlier. He even told our mechanic that 'if any corrective action was required, he would be right behind him watching every little thing that he did.' I feel that this intimidating and harassing behavior by the FAA inspector was uncalled for and detracted this crew from performing their preflight duties, and for the record, I would like to say that I am a very safe and conscientious pilot and if I had noticed any little thing that might have been unsafe or dangerous, I would have informed the captain and our maintenance personnel at once. The behavior displayed by the FAA inspector also hindered our maintenance personnel in the performance of their jobs and in trying to solve the problem that existed with a min of delay and discomfort to our passenger. This type of rude, unprofessional, and discourteous behavior has no place in the aviation industry.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT FUEL LEAK FOUND DURING PREFLT BY FAA INSPECTOR.

Narrative: DURING THE PREFLT INSPECTION I NOTED NO DISCREPANCIES WITH THE ACFT DURING MY EXTERIOR WALKAROUND INSPECTION. IT HAD RAINED HEAVILY THE NIGHT BEFORE AND THERE WERE SEVERAL SMALL WATER PUDDLES ON THE GND AROUND THE ACFT. UPON RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT, I PROCEEDED WITH MY INTERIOR COCKPIT PREFLT INSPECTION AND ONCE AGAIN NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. ABOUT 30 MINS AFTER MY EXTERIOR PREFLT AND ABOUT 10 MINS BEFORE SCHEDULED PUSHBACK, AN FAA MAINT INSPECTOR CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED US THAT HE HAD NOTICED A FUEL LEAK UNDER THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING. I JOINED THE INSPECTOR OUTSIDE THE ACFT FOR A FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE SUSPECTED FUEL LEAK AND ONCE AGAIN, DIDN'T NOTE ANYTHING OTHER THAN SOME CONDENSATION WHICH TYPICALLY FORMS UNDER THE WING. UPON MUCH CLOSER EXAMINATION, HOWEVER, WE DID NOTICE A VERY LITTLE AMOUNT OF SEEPAGE CONFINED TO A VERY SMALL AREA ON THE BOTTOM TRAILING EDGE OF THE WING. THERE WAS ALSO A VERY SMALL PUDDLE UNDERNEATH THAT AREA, WHICH I DID NOT NOTICE WHEN I COMPLETED MY EXTERIOR PREFLT. UPON CLOSER EXAMINATION AND INVESTIGATION BY ACR MAINT PERSONNEL THIS SMALL AMOUNT OF SEEPAGE WAS FOUND TO BE WITHIN NORMAL LIMITS AND AFTER A 40 MIN DELAY, WE CONTINUED OUR FLT TO ATLANTA UNEVENTFULLY. DURING OUR ENTIRE 40 MIN DELAY ON THE GND IN BOSTON, THE FAA INSPECTOR ACTED VERY RUDE AND UNPROFESSIONAL TOWARDS BOTH MYSELF AND THE ACR MAINT PERSONNEL. AT 1 POINT HE EVEN THREATENED ME WITH 1 MONTH OFF AND VIOLATION FOR NOT NOTICING THE LEAK EARLIER. HE EVEN TOLD OUR MECH THAT 'IF ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED, HE WOULD BE RIGHT BEHIND HIM WATCHING EVERY LITTLE THING THAT HE DID.' I FEEL THAT THIS INTIMIDATING AND HARASSING BEHAVIOR BY THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS UNCALLED FOR AND DETRACTED THIS CREW FROM PERFORMING THEIR PREFLT DUTIES, AND FOR THE RECORD, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I AM A VERY SAFE AND CONSCIENTIOUS PLT AND IF I HAD NOTICED ANY LITTLE THING THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN UNSAFE OR DANGEROUS, I WOULD HAVE INFORMED THE CAPT AND OUR MAINT PERSONNEL AT ONCE. THE BEHAVIOR DISPLAYED BY THE FAA INSPECTOR ALSO HINDERED OUR MAINT PERSONNEL IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR JOBS AND IN TRYING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM THAT EXISTED WITH A MIN OF DELAY AND DISCOMFORT TO OUR PAX. THIS TYPE OF RUDE, UNPROFESSIONAL, AND DISCOURTEOUS BEHAVIOR HAS NO PLACE IN THE AVIATION INDUSTRY.

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.