Narrative:

FAA inspector interrupting preflight due late arrival. Location: lhr. FAA safety inspector arrived in the cockpit with less than 30 mins prior to departure. I was in the midst of the preflight when she forced an introduction, interrupting my preflight duties. I informed the inspector that she would have to move out of the way so that the first officer and I could complete our preflight duties. With less than 10 mins prior to departure, I was forced out of my seat to retrieve my license from my coat pocket. On international flts, I make it a point to be in my seat 30 mins prior to departure, especially, on 2 man crews over the water. The inspector's post flight debrief said the crew's performance was fine except for my attitude. After the inspector had finished, I debriefed the inspector. I informed her that by arriving late, she had interrupted our preflight duties, extremely time critical on a 2 man crew which, as a result, interfered with the safety of flight. In addition, the inspector should have met the crew in operations where introductions, license data, and expectations could have been dispensed with. The inspector's response was that the heathrow people would not allow her into operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B767 RECEIVED COMPLAINT FROM AN FAA INSPECTOR ON THE POST FLT ENRTE INSPECTION THAT THE CREW'S PERFORMANCE WAS 'FINE, EXCEPT FOR HIS ATTITUDE.'

Narrative: FAA INSPECTOR INTERRUPTING PREFLT DUE LATE ARR. LOCATION: LHR. FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR ARRIVED IN THE COCKPIT WITH LESS THAN 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. I WAS IN THE MIDST OF THE PREFLT WHEN SHE FORCED AN INTRODUCTION, INTERRUPTING MY PREFLT DUTIES. I INFORMED THE INSPECTOR THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY SO THAT THE FO AND I COULD COMPLETE OUR PREFLT DUTIES. WITH LESS THAN 10 MINS PRIOR TO DEP, I WAS FORCED OUT OF MY SEAT TO RETRIEVE MY LICENSE FROM MY COAT POCKET. ON INTL FLTS, I MAKE IT A POINT TO BE IN MY SEAT 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP, ESPECIALLY, ON 2 MAN CREWS OVER THE WATER. THE INSPECTOR'S POST FLT DEBRIEF SAID THE CREW'S PERFORMANCE WAS FINE EXCEPT FOR MY ATTITUDE. AFTER THE INSPECTOR HAD FINISHED, I DEBRIEFED THE INSPECTOR. I INFORMED HER THAT BY ARRIVING LATE, SHE HAD INTERRUPTED OUR PREFLT DUTIES, EXTREMELY TIME CRITICAL ON A 2 MAN CREW WHICH, AS A RESULT, INTERFERED WITH THE SAFETY OF FLT. IN ADDITION, THE INSPECTOR SHOULD HAVE MET THE CREW IN OPS WHERE INTRODUCTIONS, LICENSE DATA, AND EXPECTATIONS COULD HAVE BEEN DISPENSED WITH. THE INSPECTOR'S RESPONSE WAS THAT THE HEATHROW PEOPLE WOULD NOT ALLOW HER INTO OPS.

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.