Narrative:

We began our day with a very early departure and immediately were in bad WX (thunderstorms, tornadoes and heavy turbulence). After taking a lengthy delay in holding, we finally made the airport (atl), changed aircraft and took off before the airport was closed down for WX. We were behind schedule and did our best to safely catch up. When we finally arrived at the gate in iah we had been in the seats for 6 straight hours. When the passenger were deplaned we had a needed 10 min rest break before boarding would begin. The captain left the aircraft to talk to the gate agents and I took a seat in the first class section with 3 of the flight attendants. I was reclining in the seat reading a newspaper when an individual quickly entered the cabin and with concerned agitation asked the 2 flight attendants seated in front of me if catering had been on board yet. (I had seen this same individual a few mins earlier watching the ramp activity with apparent concern from the terminal window immediately in front of the aircraft. I observed him wearing a white shirt, tie and noticed an identification attached to his shirt pocket. I assumed from his actions that he was a airline representative showing concern for a quick turnaround.) one of the flight attendants stated to him that catering had just finished up front when he cut her off saying 'oh. I see them in back' and he quickly headed in that direction. As he left, one of the flight attendants said she did not see an identification on him. Another one noted that she saw something in his breast pocket that looked like an identification but agreed that he didn't have his identification displayed correctly. From my seat position I could not tell as he was visible only from the shoulders up. We quickly decided that his identification not being properly displayed was weird, and to get up and go talk to him about it. As we were getting up to go back after him he quickly returned to us and as if he had heard our current conversation, said that it was too late to ask about his identification. He flashed a badge and idented himself as an FAA inspector. He said we had made a security violation by letting him pass us. (He entered the jetway through a door that was still open after deplaning had finished.) I feel no violation took place on the crew's part because we realized that an individual had just entered the aircraft and was still onboard when we went to challenge him. The inspector never made it to the rear of the aircraft because our fourth flight attendant was taking her break at the rear of the aircraft and confirmed that he never came back there. The inspector may have momentarily got past us through subterfuge but we immediately realized that there was a security problem and took corrective action while he was still in our immediate vicinity and was visible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA INSPECTOR FINDS JETWAY OPEN ENTERS ACFT AND ACCUSES RESTING CREW OF A SECURITY VIOLATION.

Narrative: WE BEGAN OUR DAY WITH A VERY EARLY DEP AND IMMEDIATELY WERE IN BAD WX (TSTMS, TORNADOES AND HVY TURB). AFTER TAKING A LENGTHY DELAY IN HOLDING, WE FINALLY MADE THE ARPT (ATL), CHANGED ACFT AND TOOK OFF BEFORE THE ARPT WAS CLOSED DOWN FOR WX. WE WERE BEHIND SCHEDULE AND DID OUR BEST TO SAFELY CATCH UP. WHEN WE FINALLY ARRIVED AT THE GATE IN IAH WE HAD BEEN IN THE SEATS FOR 6 STRAIGHT HRS. WHEN THE PAX WERE DEPLANED WE HAD A NEEDED 10 MIN REST BREAK BEFORE BOARDING WOULD BEGIN. THE CAPT LEFT THE ACFT TO TALK TO THE GATE AGENTS AND I TOOK A SEAT IN THE FIRST CLASS SECTION WITH 3 OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS. I WAS RECLINING IN THE SEAT READING A NEWSPAPER WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL QUICKLY ENTERED THE CABIN AND WITH CONCERNED AGITATION ASKED THE 2 FLT ATTENDANTS SEATED IN FRONT OF ME IF CATERING HAD BEEN ON BOARD YET. (I HAD SEEN THIS SAME INDIVIDUAL A FEW MINS EARLIER WATCHING THE RAMP ACTIVITY WITH APPARENT CONCERN FROM THE TERMINAL WINDOW IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. I OBSERVED HIM WEARING A WHITE SHIRT, TIE AND NOTICED AN ID ATTACHED TO HIS SHIRT POCKET. I ASSUMED FROM HIS ACTIONS THAT HE WAS A AIRLINE REPRESENTATIVE SHOWING CONCERN FOR A QUICK TURNAROUND.) ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS STATED TO HIM THAT CATERING HAD JUST FINISHED UP FRONT WHEN HE CUT HER OFF SAYING 'OH. I SEE THEM IN BACK' AND HE QUICKLY HEADED IN THAT DIRECTION. AS HE LEFT, ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID SHE DID NOT SEE AN ID ON HIM. ANOTHER ONE NOTED THAT SHE SAW SOMETHING IN HIS BREAST POCKET THAT LOOKED LIKE AN ID BUT AGREED THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE HIS ID DISPLAYED CORRECTLY. FROM MY SEAT POS I COULD NOT TELL AS HE WAS VISIBLE ONLY FROM THE SHOULDERS UP. WE QUICKLY DECIDED THAT HIS ID NOT BEING PROPERLY DISPLAYED WAS WEIRD, AND TO GET UP AND GO TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT. AS WE WERE GETTING UP TO GO BACK AFTER HIM HE QUICKLY RETURNED TO US AND AS IF HE HAD HEARD OUR CURRENT CONVERSATION, SAID THAT IT WAS TOO LATE TO ASK ABOUT HIS ID. HE FLASHED A BADGE AND IDENTED HIMSELF AS AN FAA INSPECTOR. HE SAID WE HAD MADE A SECURITY VIOLATION BY LETTING HIM PASS US. (HE ENTERED THE JETWAY THROUGH A DOOR THAT WAS STILL OPEN AFTER DEPLANING HAD FINISHED.) I FEEL NO VIOLATION TOOK PLACE ON THE CREW'S PART BECAUSE WE REALIZED THAT AN INDIVIDUAL HAD JUST ENTERED THE ACFT AND WAS STILL ONBOARD WHEN WE WENT TO CHALLENGE HIM. THE INSPECTOR NEVER MADE IT TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT BECAUSE OUR FOURTH FLT ATTENDANT WAS TAKING HER BREAK AT THE REAR OF THE ACFT AND CONFIRMED THAT HE NEVER CAME BACK THERE. THE INSPECTOR MAY HAVE MOMENTARILY GOT PAST US THROUGH SUBTERFUGE BUT WE IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A SECURITY PROB AND TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTION WHILE HE WAS STILL IN OUR IMMEDIATE VICINITY AND WAS VISIBLE.

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.