Narrative:

The first officer left his seat to go to the lavatory. I was busy checking a position and failed to notice that the international relief officer hadn't gotten in the first officer's seat. An FAA inspector on board warned us that I should go on oxygen or the international relief officer should occupy the first officer's seat (which is the correct procedure). At that point the international relief officer stopped what he was doing and took the first officer's seat. Supplemental information from acn 271333: I was engrossed in some company related paperwork and inadvertently allowed a measurable lapse of time to pass before making a move to occupy the empty seat. The FAA inspector felt that the time interval was excessive and gave the captain and myself an implied warning about someone 'getting in trouble' if we did not get on oxygen immediately or I did not get into the first officer's seat. I immediately dropped what I was doing and got into the seat. The matter seemed to be resolved until arrival in phl. The inspector asked to occupy the center jumpseat (which is the relief officer's normal duty station on all international flts) and the captain indicated he was not comfortable with that arrangement. The captain said he wanted me to be able to render assistance with company calls and especially with the WX radar due to thunderstorms in the arrival area. The captain had allowed the inspector to talk him (or intimidate him) into such an arrangement during our departure in paris. After a brief discussion, the inspector agreed reluctantly to go along with the captain. I then assisted the captain as he directed, and performed my normal duties (which would have been impossible in the other observer seat). At flight termination, the inspector expressed considerable displeasure over being denied a seat with a good view of the cockpit because it better helped him to 'do his job.' he also brought up the seat change incident again and implied that the time lapse was unsatisfactory since we obviously knew better. He did not actually say whether he would pursue certificate action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB FLC FAILS TO HAVE RELIEF OFFICER OCCUPY R SEAT WHEN FO VACATED. CAPT DID NOT USE OXYGEN.

Narrative: THE FO LEFT HIS SEAT TO GO TO THE LAVATORY. I WAS BUSY CHKING A POS AND FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THE IRO HADN'T GOTTEN IN THE FO'S SEAT. AN FAA INSPECTOR ON BOARD WARNED US THAT I SHOULD GO ON OXYGEN OR THE IRO SHOULD OCCUPY THE FO'S SEAT (WHICH IS THE CORRECT PROC). AT THAT POINT THE IRO STOPPED WHAT HE WAS DOING AND TOOK THE FO'S SEAT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 271333: I WAS ENGROSSED IN SOME COMPANY RELATED PAPERWORK AND INADVERTENTLY ALLOWED A MEASURABLE LAPSE OF TIME TO PASS BEFORE MAKING A MOVE TO OCCUPY THE EMPTY SEAT. THE FAA INSPECTOR FELT THAT THE TIME INTERVAL WAS EXCESSIVE AND GAVE THE CAPT AND MYSELF AN IMPLIED WARNING ABOUT SOMEONE 'GETTING IN TROUBLE' IF WE DID NOT GET ON OXYGEN IMMEDIATELY OR I DID NOT GET INTO THE FO'S SEAT. I IMMEDIATELY DROPPED WHAT I WAS DOING AND GOT INTO THE SEAT. THE MATTER SEEMED TO BE RESOLVED UNTIL ARR IN PHL. THE INSPECTOR ASKED TO OCCUPY THE CTR JUMPSEAT (WHICH IS THE RELIEF OFFICER'S NORMAL DUTY STATION ON ALL INTL FLTS) AND THE CAPT INDICATED HE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT ARRANGEMENT. THE CAPT SAID HE WANTED ME TO BE ABLE TO RENDER ASSISTANCE WITH COMPANY CALLS AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE WX RADAR DUE TO TSTMS IN THE ARR AREA. THE CAPT HAD ALLOWED THE INSPECTOR TO TALK HIM (OR INTIMIDATE HIM) INTO SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT DURING OUR DEP IN PARIS. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION, THE INSPECTOR AGREED RELUCTANTLY TO GO ALONG WITH THE CAPT. I THEN ASSISTED THE CAPT AS HE DIRECTED, AND PERFORMED MY NORMAL DUTIES (WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE IN THE OTHER OBSERVER SEAT). AT FLT TERMINATION, THE INSPECTOR EXPRESSED CONSIDERABLE DISPLEASURE OVER BEING DENIED A SEAT WITH A GOOD VIEW OF THE COCKPIT BECAUSE IT BETTER HELPED HIM TO 'DO HIS JOB.' HE ALSO BROUGHT UP THE SEAT CHANGE INCIDENT AGAIN AND IMPLIED THAT THE TIME LAPSE WAS UNSATISFACTORY SINCE WE OBVIOUSLY KNEW BETTER. HE DID NOT ACTUALLY SAY WHETHER HE WOULD PURSUE CERTIFICATE ACTION.

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.