Narrative:

Aircraft had been on ramp for over 1 hour when mr X, a mechanic inspector from the stl FSDO arrived to look at the condition of the aircraft. Earlier in the day when we had gotten the aircraft on the preflight I had noticed a fuel leak between the left nacelle and the fuselage. I called our maintenance base and they had me wipe the area dry, time for 30 mins and call them back. The fuel seep covered approximately a 2 inch circle on the lower wing. I told them this and they told me with a seep of this size in this area was well within limits per chapter 28 of the maintenance manual page 28-10-10 pages 203-204. No repair action was required, however the area would have to be monitored. Mr X on the ramp immediately asked me if I was aware of the fuel seep on the aircraft to which I replied 'yes.' he then asked if it was within limitations, to which I replied 'yes.' he then told me that he did not feel it was within limits but did not know how to check it and wanted to know where the procedure was to check the area. I told him it was in the maintenance manuals at our maintenance base. He then pointed to the radome on the aircraft where a repair had been made and a small nut on the taxi light and wanted to know under what sections of the maintenance program these repairs had been made. I suggested that we go to a phone and call our maintenance department and they would tell him where fuel seeps were discussed and where the 2 repairs were approved. He then bluntly stated, 'I'm not leaving this airplane. You are going up there and calling them and bringing the information to me out here. While you're up there, find out about this emergency exit also.' there was no problem with the emergency exit, but I told him I would ask and again asked him to go up to call and talk directly but he again refused. I called and got the information on the fuel leak, stated previously, and the other 3 items. Mr X then became very confrontational and told me he counted 30 drops per min coming out of the seep. I told him outright that he was wrong, which was confirmed later when I checked the seep before I flew the aircraft to the next destination. Mr X then concluded his ramp check by stating, 'I'm going but I'll be back tomorrow when you're here.' and left. I wiped the seep area dry, rechked it, it was within limits and continued to fly the aircraft. Mr X could have cleared the issue up by simply walking in with me and talking to our maintenance personnel. He had no idea how to check a seep, and then outright lied by saying he counted 30 drops per min. This could be corrected if the FAA didn't have certain people who shoot off the hip uninformed on what they're looking at and being open to using a telephone. Supplemental information from acn 253723: FAA inspector idented 4 possible maintenance deficiencies and demanded explanation. After receiving explanations, he became very angry and stated he would get our procedures 'fixed.' at no time did he state the aircraft was unsafe to fly nor did he attempt to ground the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT IS RAMP CHKED. ACR INSPECTOR UNWILLING TO USE PHONE TO TALK TO MAINT TO ASSURE FUEL LEAK AND REPAIRS ARE CORRECT.

Narrative: ACFT HAD BEEN ON RAMP FOR OVER 1 HR WHEN MR X, A MECH INSPECTOR FROM THE STL FSDO ARRIVED TO LOOK AT THE CONDITION OF THE ACFT. EARLIER IN THE DAY WHEN WE HAD GOTTEN THE ACFT ON THE PREFLT I HAD NOTICED A FUEL LEAK BTWN THE L NACELLE AND THE FUSELAGE. I CALLED OUR MAINT BASE AND THEY HAD ME WIPE THE AREA DRY, TIME FOR 30 MINS AND CALL THEM BACK. THE FUEL SEEP COVERED APPROX A 2 INCH CIRCLE ON THE LOWER WING. I TOLD THEM THIS AND THEY TOLD ME WITH A SEEP OF THIS SIZE IN THIS AREA WAS WELL WITHIN LIMITS PER CHAPTER 28 OF THE MAINT MANUAL PAGE 28-10-10 PAGES 203-204. NO REPAIR ACTION WAS REQUIRED, HOWEVER THE AREA WOULD HAVE TO BE MONITORED. MR X ON THE RAMP IMMEDIATELY ASKED ME IF I WAS AWARE OF THE FUEL SEEP ON THE ACFT TO WHICH I REPLIED 'YES.' HE THEN ASKED IF IT WAS WITHIN LIMITATIONS, TO WHICH I REPLIED 'YES.' HE THEN TOLD ME THAT HE DID NOT FEEL IT WAS WITHIN LIMITS BUT DID NOT KNOW HOW TO CHK IT AND WANTED TO KNOW WHERE THE PROC WAS TO CHK THE AREA. I TOLD HIM IT WAS IN THE MAINT MANUALS AT OUR MAINT BASE. HE THEN POINTED TO THE RADOME ON THE ACFT WHERE A REPAIR HAD BEEN MADE AND A SMALL NUT ON THE TAXI LIGHT AND WANTED TO KNOW UNDER WHAT SECTIONS OF THE MAINT PROGRAM THESE REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE. I SUGGESTED THAT WE GO TO A PHONE AND CALL OUR MAINT DEPT AND THEY WOULD TELL HIM WHERE FUEL SEEPS WERE DISCUSSED AND WHERE THE 2 REPAIRS WERE APPROVED. HE THEN BLUNTLY STATED, 'I'M NOT LEAVING THIS AIRPLANE. YOU ARE GOING UP THERE AND CALLING THEM AND BRINGING THE INFO TO ME OUT HERE. WHILE YOU'RE UP THERE, FIND OUT ABOUT THIS EMER EXIT ALSO.' THERE WAS NO PROB WITH THE EMER EXIT, BUT I TOLD HIM I WOULD ASK AND AGAIN ASKED HIM TO GO UP TO CALL AND TALK DIRECTLY BUT HE AGAIN REFUSED. I CALLED AND GOT THE INFO ON THE FUEL LEAK, STATED PREVIOUSLY, AND THE OTHER 3 ITEMS. MR X THEN BECAME VERY CONFRONTATIONAL AND TOLD ME HE COUNTED 30 DROPS PER MIN COMING OUT OF THE SEEP. I TOLD HIM OUTRIGHT THAT HE WAS WRONG, WHICH WAS CONFIRMED LATER WHEN I CHKED THE SEEP BEFORE I FLEW THE ACFT TO THE NEXT DEST. MR X THEN CONCLUDED HIS RAMP CHK BY STATING, 'I'M GOING BUT I'LL BE BACK TOMORROW WHEN YOU'RE HERE.' AND LEFT. I WIPED THE SEEP AREA DRY, RECHKED IT, IT WAS WITHIN LIMITS AND CONTINUED TO FLY THE ACFT. MR X COULD HAVE CLRED THE ISSUE UP BY SIMPLY WALKING IN WITH ME AND TALKING TO OUR MAINT PERSONNEL. HE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO CHK A SEEP, AND THEN OUTRIGHT LIED BY SAYING HE COUNTED 30 DROPS PER MIN. THIS COULD BE CORRECTED IF THE FAA DIDN'T HAVE CERTAIN PEOPLE WHO SHOOT OFF THE HIP UNINFORMED ON WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT AND BEING OPEN TO USING A TELEPHONE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 253723: FAA INSPECTOR IDENTED 4 POSSIBLE MAINT DEFICIENCIES AND DEMANDED EXPLANATION. AFTER RECEIVING EXPLANATIONS, HE BECAME VERY ANGRY AND STATED HE WOULD GET OUR PROCS 'FIXED.' AT NO TIME DID HE STATE THE ACFT WAS UNSAFE TO FLY NOR DID HE ATTEMPT TO GND THE ACFT.

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.