Narrative:

Approximately 1 hour into the flight, the flight attendant called and asked if we wanted meals. The captain and I both accepted. The flight attendant brought both meals at the same time. Neither of us conferred about eating. I ate my meal and did not think about the captain eating at the same time. Neither of us ate the entire meal and the captain mentioned ringing the flight attendant to have her get the trays. Since I had needed to go to the lavatory for quite some time, I said I would take the trays back on my way out. The flight attendant showed up as the jump seat passenger was getting up. There was quite a shuffle in the cockpit as the trays were passed out, the jump seat passenger moved to let me climb out. I looked at the captain and put my hand over my mouth and nose as a reminder for him about the oxygen mask. I then quickly went to the lax and returned. When I entered the cockpit, the captain had his oxygen mask in his hand and then stored it as I sat down. The rest of the flight was uneventful. The jump seat passenger was an FAA inspector. Upon arrival at the gate in fll, he debriefed the captain on 2 items. He mentioned it was not a good idea to both eat at the same time and that he thought above 10000 ft 1 pilot should wear the oxygen mask if the other left the cockpit. I had no comment and remained silent during his debrief. Company policy is that only 1 pilot eats at a time, different meals from different ovens if possible. FAA rules are that above FL250, if 1 pilot leaves his seat the other will don the oxygen mask. Suggestions to avoid a recurrence: when meals are offered, ask the flight attendant to bring up only 1 meal at a time. When a pilot leaves his seat above FL250, confirming the other pilot has his oxygen mask on prior to leaving would be a good idea.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC IN NON ADHERENCE TO FARS REGARDING MEAL SVC AND OXYGEN MASK USE ABOVE FL250.

Narrative: APPROX 1 HR INTO THE FLT, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND ASKED IF WE WANTED MEALS. THE CAPT AND I BOTH ACCEPTED. THE FLT ATTENDANT BROUGHT BOTH MEALS AT THE SAME TIME. NEITHER OF US CONFERRED ABOUT EATING. I ATE MY MEAL AND DID NOT THINK ABOUT THE CAPT EATING AT THE SAME TIME. NEITHER OF US ATE THE ENTIRE MEAL AND THE CAPT MENTIONED RINGING THE FLT ATTENDANT TO HAVE HER GET THE TRAYS. SINCE I HAD NEEDED TO GO TO THE LAVATORY FOR QUITE SOME TIME, I SAID I WOULD TAKE THE TRAYS BACK ON MY WAY OUT. THE FLT ATTENDANT SHOWED UP AS THE JUMP SEAT PAX WAS GETTING UP. THERE WAS QUITE A SHUFFLE IN THE COCKPIT AS THE TRAYS WERE PASSED OUT, THE JUMP SEAT PAX MOVED TO LET ME CLB OUT. I LOOKED AT THE CAPT AND PUT MY HAND OVER MY MOUTH AND NOSE AS A REMINDER FOR HIM ABOUT THE OXYGEN MASK. I THEN QUICKLY WENT TO THE LAX AND RETURNED. WHEN I ENTERED THE COCKPIT, THE CAPT HAD HIS OXYGEN MASK IN HIS HAND AND THEN STORED IT AS I SAT DOWN. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE JUMP SEAT PAX WAS AN FAA INSPECTOR. UPON ARR AT THE GATE IN FLL, HE DEBRIEFED THE CAPT ON 2 ITEMS. HE MENTIONED IT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO BOTH EAT AT THE SAME TIME AND THAT HE THOUGHT ABOVE 10000 FT 1 PLT SHOULD WEAR THE OXYGEN MASK IF THE OTHER LEFT THE COCKPIT. I HAD NO COMMENT AND REMAINED SILENT DURING HIS DEBRIEF. COMPANY POLICY IS THAT ONLY 1 PLT EATS AT A TIME, DIFFERENT MEALS FROM DIFFERENT OVENS IF POSSIBLE. FAA RULES ARE THAT ABOVE FL250, IF 1 PLT LEAVES HIS SEAT THE OTHER WILL DON THE OXYGEN MASK. SUGGESTIONS TO AVOID A RECURRENCE: WHEN MEALS ARE OFFERED, ASK THE FLT ATTENDANT TO BRING UP ONLY 1 MEAL AT A TIME. WHEN A PLT LEAVES HIS SEAT ABOVE FL250, CONFIRMING THE OTHER PLT HAS HIS OXYGEN MASK ON PRIOR TO LEAVING WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.

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.