Narrative:

Captain=a. First officer=B. So=C. 2 acm's were authorized. First officer X traveling to hnl. FAA Z air safety inspector returning to hnl on an en route check. Prior to departure my license and medical certificate were examined by Z after he presented his FAA identify. I remembered Z as he rode in my cockpit on a previous trip from saipan to guam. I knew X from our hnl DC10 base while he was an air carrier international relief officer and a DC10 first officer currently based in guam. X agreed to take a seat in the cabin during the 6 hour 33 min as it would be more comfortable for the flight crew and inspector. There was a heightened sense of awareness in the cockpit due to an FAA inspector present -- including not talking from taxi out to climb out unless it pertained to items directly related to the operation of the flight. I used my oxygen mask a number of times as the first officer left his seat to go to the restroom. The so checked through the peep hole in the door when the signal was given by B or cabin crew to enter the cockpit. Crew meals were served and eaten according to regulations, however, I chose to not eat as I had a late lunch. I had made the takeoff and would make the landing, the communications and position reports were being made by the first officer. I elected to do the plotting on our navigation chart during this flight. After approximately 5 hours and 20 mins, B signaled on the cockpit door and was admitted to the flight deck. Up to that time I had not been out of the left seat, I informed my first officer B that I would be leaving the cockpit to use the restroom. First officer B put on his oxygen mask, I left my seat and left the cockpit. I signaled to return to the cockpit, when I stepped inside I saw X sitting in the left seat and B with his mask on, while a position report was being given and position plotted by X. I moved to the front of the cockpit and stood behind the left seat and I mentioned to X I would be standing to stretch my back, while X was seated. I did not see and don't know when or if first officer B removed his mask while I was standing. The oxygen mask was on when I left the cockpit and was on when I returned to the cockpit. My attention at the time was focused in conversation with X until the inspector tapped me on the shoulder and requested to speak to me outside the cockpit. FAA Z informed me he did not like what he was seeing and did not believe X's medical qualified him to occupy the left seat. Z requested to speak to X outside the cockpit. I returned to the cockpit, informed X to speak to Z outside the cockpit. I returned to my seat. When X and the inspector returned to the flight deck there was conversation by X pertaining to his experience in qualifying as a DC10 type rated international relief officer. The inspector did not participate in the conversation, X then returned to the main cabin. While parked at the gate, I asked the inspector if he has anything that I should mention to the chief pilot's office in guam. He mentioned that the circuit breaker on his previous flight to guam on the standby altimeter being out as well as the present return flight. The use of oxygen mask, the writing up the autoplt failure on climb out and approach and the nice windshear recovery made on the approach to runway 4R. We all shook hands and Z departed the cockpit. The same day I was informed by hnl chief pilot that I and my first officer were being violated by the FAA inspector and I should submit a NASA report concerning not being at my station, while an out of uniform pilot was in my seat and first officer did not have his mask on. Afterwards I received a call from the guam chief pilot informing me that all the crew members and X were having a certificate action filed against them. Chain of events: reported by crew members while captain was out of the cockpit: first officer B reported that the acm pilot X step forward and seated himself in the captain's seat telling him he could remove his mask as he was a qualified international relief officer with a type rating on the DC10. First officer B did not know the pilot's background and elected to leave the mask on. Position taavr on A450 was indicated on the inertial navigation system, the first officer in the right seat was capable of making the report with his oxygen mask on. X wanted to be helpful by giving the report from the left seat. So C's version of the events while the captain was out of the cockpit validated the first officer's version. Acm X mentioned that when he saw the alert light on our navigation come on and the captain was absent from his station, thinking the first officer might have to unbuckle his seat belt he would occupy the captain's seat and give the position report to oceanic control and plot the position of the aircraft on the chart. Chain of events: captain return to cockpit. When I returned to the cockpit, I (captain) saw acm X giving the position report on the HF radios and plotting the position on the navigation chart. I step up my seat engaging X in conversation. Mins of captain standing behind his position while X was still in the captain's seat, the first officer must have assumed that X was a fully qualified DC10 typed international relief officer. While standing the FAA Z requested to talk with me outside the cockpit, I did not see if the first officer removed his oxygen mask while I was standing behind my seat. I got the impression that FAA Z was concerned about the status of X's medical. If that is true then the seat should have been left vacated rather than having a type rated international relief officer with a second class medical. Included are 2 pages out of our operations manual. Which seems to be in conflict with the FAA interpretation of medical requirements. Human performance considerations: considering all of the events that occurred from check in at the operations in guam to departing the aircraft in hnl the captain, first officer and so team operated in a safe manner. The auxiliary unit failed at the gate which required some deviation from normal procedures, a questionable flap setting was corrected by the crew, autoplt fail to operate properly on climb out and approach to hnl. On the return trip the situation was discussed by the flight crew including the ramifications it might have on our future careers. After asking the FAA inspector Z for his comments I believe he should have stated that he would be violating the crew with his explanation, not shaking hands then leaving the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WITH FAA ACI IN THE COCKPIT, CAPT OUT OF COCKPIT ON SHORT BREAK, JUMPSEATING PLT SAT IN CAPT'S SEAT TO HELP FLC WITH POS RPTS, ETC. BEING QUESTIONABLE IF HE WAS QUALIFIED TO SIT THERE, THE ACI EXAMINED HIS MEDICAL, ETC AND FILED A CERTIFICATE ACTION AGAINST THE FLC.

Narrative: CAPT=A. FO=B. SO=C. 2 ACM'S WERE AUTHORIZED. FO X TRAVELING TO HNL. FAA Z AIR SAFETY INSPECTOR RETURNING TO HNL ON AN ENRTE CHK. PRIOR TO DEP MY LICENSE AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WERE EXAMINED BY Z AFTER HE PRESENTED HIS FAA IDENT. I REMEMBERED Z AS HE RODE IN MY COCKPIT ON A PREVIOUS TRIP FROM SAIPAN TO GUAM. I KNEW X FROM OUR HNL DC10 BASE WHILE HE WAS AN ACR INTL RELIEF OFFICER AND A DC10 FO CURRENTLY BASED IN GUAM. X AGREED TO TAKE A SEAT IN THE CABIN DURING THE 6 HR 33 MIN AS IT WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE FOR THE FLC AND INSPECTOR. THERE WAS A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF AWARENESS IN THE COCKPIT DUE TO AN FAA INSPECTOR PRESENT -- INCLUDING NOT TALKING FROM TAXI OUT TO CLBOUT UNLESS IT PERTAINED TO ITEMS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE OP OF THE FLT. I USED MY OXYGEN MASK A NUMBER OF TIMES AS THE FO LEFT HIS SEAT TO GO TO THE RESTROOM. THE SO CHKED THROUGH THE PEEP HOLE IN THE DOOR WHEN THE SIGNAL WAS GIVEN BY B OR CABIN CREW TO ENTER THE COCKPIT. CREW MEALS WERE SERVED AND EATEN ACCORDING TO REGS, HOWEVER, I CHOSE TO NOT EAT AS I HAD A LATE LUNCH. I HAD MADE THE TKOF AND WOULD MAKE THE LNDG, THE COMS AND POS RPTS WERE BEING MADE BY THE FO. I ELECTED TO DO THE PLOTTING ON OUR NAV CHART DURING THIS FLT. AFTER APPROX 5 HRS AND 20 MINS, B SIGNALED ON THE COCKPIT DOOR AND WAS ADMITTED TO THE FLT DECK. UP TO THAT TIME I HAD NOT BEEN OUT OF THE L SEAT, I INFORMED MY FO B THAT I WOULD BE LEAVING THE COCKPIT TO USE THE RESTROOM. FO B PUT ON HIS OXYGEN MASK, I LEFT MY SEAT AND LEFT THE COCKPIT. I SIGNALED TO RETURN TO THE COCKPIT, WHEN I STEPPED INSIDE I SAW X SITTING IN THE L SEAT AND B WITH HIS MASK ON, WHILE A POS RPT WAS BEING GIVEN AND POS PLOTTED BY X. I MOVED TO THE FRONT OF THE COCKPIT AND STOOD BEHIND THE L SEAT AND I MENTIONED TO X I WOULD BE STANDING TO STRETCH MY BACK, WHILE X WAS SEATED. I DID NOT SEE AND DON'T KNOW WHEN OR IF FO B REMOVED HIS MASK WHILE I WAS STANDING. THE OXYGEN MASK WAS ON WHEN I LEFT THE COCKPIT AND WAS ON WHEN I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. MY ATTN AT THE TIME WAS FOCUSED IN CONVERSATION WITH X UNTIL THE INSPECTOR TAPPED ME ON THE SHOULDER AND REQUESTED TO SPEAK TO ME OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT. FAA Z INFORMED ME HE DID NOT LIKE WHAT HE WAS SEEING AND DID NOT BELIEVE X'S MEDICAL QUALIFIED HIM TO OCCUPY THE L SEAT. Z REQUESTED TO SPEAK TO X OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT, INFORMED X TO SPEAK TO Z OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT. I RETURNED TO MY SEAT. WHEN X AND THE INSPECTOR RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK THERE WAS CONVERSATION BY X PERTAINING TO HIS EXPERIENCE IN QUALIFYING AS A DC10 TYPE RATED IRO. THE INSPECTOR DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE CONVERSATION, X THEN RETURNED TO THE MAIN CABIN. WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE, I ASKED THE INSPECTOR IF HE HAS ANYTHING THAT I SHOULD MENTION TO THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE IN GUAM. HE MENTIONED THAT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER ON HIS PREVIOUS FLT TO GUAM ON THE STANDBY ALTIMETER BEING OUT AS WELL AS THE PRESENT RETURN FLT. THE USE OF OXYGEN MASK, THE WRITING UP THE AUTOPLT FAILURE ON CLBOUT AND APCH AND THE NICE WINDSHEAR RECOVERY MADE ON THE APCH TO RWY 4R. WE ALL SHOOK HANDS AND Z DEPARTED THE COCKPIT. THE SAME DAY I WAS INFORMED BY HNL CHIEF PLT THAT I AND MY FO WERE BEING VIOLATED BY THE FAA INSPECTOR AND I SHOULD SUBMIT A NASA RPT CONCERNING NOT BEING AT MY STATION, WHILE AN OUT OF UNIFORM PLT WAS IN MY SEAT AND FO DID NOT HAVE HIS MASK ON. AFTERWARDS I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE GUAM CHIEF PLT INFORMING ME THAT ALL THE CREW MEMBERS AND X WERE HAVING A CERTIFICATE ACTION FILED AGAINST THEM. CHAIN OF EVENTS: RPTED BY CREW MEMBERS WHILE CAPT WAS OUT OF THE COCKPIT: FO B RPTED THAT THE ACM PLT X STEP FORWARD AND SEATED HIMSELF IN THE CAPT'S SEAT TELLING HIM HE COULD REMOVE HIS MASK AS HE WAS A QUALIFIED IRO WITH A TYPE RATING ON THE DC10. FO B DID NOT KNOW THE PLT'S BACKGROUND AND ELECTED TO LEAVE THE MASK ON. POS TAAVR ON A450 WAS INDICATED ON THE INERTIAL NAV SYS, THE FO IN THE R SEAT WAS CAPABLE OF MAKING THE RPT WITH HIS OXYGEN MASK ON. X WANTED TO BE HELPFUL BY GIVING THE RPT FROM THE L SEAT. SO C'S VERSION OF THE EVENTS WHILE THE CAPT WAS OUT OF THE COCKPIT VALIDATED THE FO'S VERSION. ACM X MENTIONED THAT WHEN HE SAW THE ALERT LIGHT ON OUR NAV COME ON AND THE CAPT WAS ABSENT FROM HIS STATION, THINKING THE FO MIGHT HAVE TO UNBUCKLE HIS SEAT BELT HE WOULD OCCUPY THE CAPT'S SEAT AND GIVE THE POS RPT TO OCEANIC CTL AND PLOT THE POS OF THE ACFT ON THE CHART. CHAIN OF EVENTS: CAPT RETURN TO COCKPIT. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT, I (CAPT) SAW ACM X GIVING THE POS RPT ON THE HF RADIOS AND PLOTTING THE POS ON THE NAV CHART. I STEP UP MY SEAT ENGAGING X IN CONVERSATION. MINS OF CAPT STANDING BEHIND HIS POS WHILE X WAS STILL IN THE CAPT'S SEAT, THE FO MUST HAVE ASSUMED THAT X WAS A FULLY QUALIFIED DC10 TYPED IRO. WHILE STANDING THE FAA Z REQUESTED TO TALK WITH ME OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT, I DID NOT SEE IF THE FO REMOVED HIS OXYGEN MASK WHILE I WAS STANDING BEHIND MY SEAT. I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT FAA Z WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATUS OF X'S MEDICAL. IF THAT IS TRUE THEN THE SEAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT VACATED RATHER THAN HAVING A TYPE RATED IRO WITH A SECOND CLASS MEDICAL. INCLUDED ARE 2 PAGES OUT OF OUR OPS MANUAL. WHICH SEEMS TO BE IN CONFLICT WITH THE FAA INTERP OF MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: CONSIDERING ALL OF THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED FROM CHK IN AT THE OPS IN GUAM TO DEPARTING THE ACFT IN HNL THE CAPT, FO AND SO TEAM OPERATED IN A SAFE MANNER. THE AUX UNIT FAILED AT THE GATE WHICH REQUIRED SOME DEV FROM NORMAL PROCS, A QUESTIONABLE FLAP SETTING WAS CORRECTED BY THE CREW, AUTOPLT FAIL TO OPERATE PROPERLY ON CLBOUT AND APCH TO HNL. ON THE RETURN TRIP THE SIT WAS DISCUSSED BY THE FLC INCLUDING THE RAMIFICATIONS IT MIGHT HAVE ON OUR FUTURE CAREERS. AFTER ASKING THE FAA INSPECTOR Z FOR HIS COMMENTS I BELIEVE HE SHOULD HAVE STATED THAT HE WOULD BE VIOLATING THE CREW WITH HIS EXPLANATION, NOT SHAKING HANDS THEN LEAVING THE COCKPIT.

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.