Narrative:

An aviation safety inspector -- airworthiness, asked to ride jumpseat to roc. When he asked for my certificate and medical, I questioned the propriety of a maintenance inspector asking for those documents. His reaction was abrupt and angry as he referenced far 121.581. I left the cockpit to reflect on his conduct and called the dispatcher about the inspector. After discussing the situation, I returned to the aircraft and displayed the credentials after asking the inspector at which office he worked. His reaction was again of hostility and anger. This type of reaction continued to occur whenever I asked him a question throughout the rest of the flight. En route the inspector asked for the aircraft maintenance log. After I gave it to him, he said that he was going to the galley to view the log. I told him that I would give him a flashlight instead. After looking at the log, he began checking circuit breaker panels and other parts of the cockpit. This action quickly became a distraction and began to affect the safety of the flight. I took the flashlight back. After blocking in at roc, the asi stated that I had an attitude problem and had interfered with his duties. In retrospect, I should never have operated the flight with this individual in the frame of mind that he was in. He was a safety hazard to the flight. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a former check airman for a major united states air carrier and is a graduate of the united states navy pg school accident investigation school. He is very concerned with the safety aspects of this situation. He states that this particular maintenance inspector seems to have a chip on his shoulder for all large air carrier operations due to a previous business failure. The reporter has received a letter promising an investigation under the provisions of part 121.581 and others. The reporter was counseled as to the reasons for the maintenance inspector asking for his credentials.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MAINT INSPECTOR ANGERED THE CREW OF AN ACR MLG.

Narrative: AN AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR -- AIRWORTHINESS, ASKED TO RIDE JUMPSEAT TO ROC. WHEN HE ASKED FOR MY CERTIFICATE AND MEDICAL, I QUESTIONED THE PROPRIETY OF A MAINT INSPECTOR ASKING FOR THOSE DOCUMENTS. HIS REACTION WAS ABRUPT AND ANGRY AS HE REFED FAR 121.581. I LEFT THE COCKPIT TO REFLECT ON HIS CONDUCT AND CALLED THE DISPATCHER ABOUT THE INSPECTOR. AFTER DISCUSSING THE SIT, I RETURNED TO THE ACFT AND DISPLAYED THE CREDENTIALS AFTER ASKING THE INSPECTOR AT WHICH OFFICE HE WORKED. HIS REACTION WAS AGAIN OF HOSTILITY AND ANGER. THIS TYPE OF REACTION CONTINUED TO OCCUR WHENEVER I ASKED HIM A QUESTION THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE FLT. ENRTE THE INSPECTOR ASKED FOR THE ACFT MAINT LOG. AFTER I GAVE IT TO HIM, HE SAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO THE GALLEY TO VIEW THE LOG. I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD GIVE HIM A FLASHLIGHT INSTEAD. AFTER LOOKING AT THE LOG, HE BEGAN CHKING CIRCUIT BREAKER PANELS AND OTHER PARTS OF THE COCKPIT. THIS ACTION QUICKLY BECAME A DISTR AND BEGAN TO AFFECT THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. I TOOK THE FLASHLIGHT BACK. AFTER BLOCKING IN AT ROC, THE ASI STATED THAT I HAD AN ATTITUDE PROB AND HAD INTERFERED WITH HIS DUTIES. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD NEVER HAVE OPERATED THE FLT WITH THIS INDIVIDUAL IN THE FRAME OF MIND THAT HE WAS IN. HE WAS A SAFETY HAZARD TO THE FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A FORMER CHK AIRMAN FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR AND IS A GRADUATE OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY PG SCHOOL ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION SCHOOL. HE IS VERY CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF THIS SIT. HE STATES THAT THIS PARTICULAR MAINT INSPECTOR SEEMS TO HAVE A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER FOR ALL LARGE ACR OPS DUE TO A PREVIOUS BUSINESS FAILURE. THE RPTR HAS RECEIVED A LETTER PROMISING AN INVESTIGATION UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF PART 121.581 AND OTHERS. THE RPTR WAS COUNSELED AS TO THE REASONS FOR THE MAINT INSPECTOR ASKING FOR HIS CREDENTIALS.

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.