Narrative:

During the last day of an air carrier's flts prior to temporary certificate surrender, my captain and I had several disagreements. First, since it was the last flight with this carrier, he elected to fly the leg (no problem). Procedure dictates that the PF starts the engines and he elected to start them simultaneously (problem). I brought up the obvious objections based on APU loading +/- overtemp, engine damage due to insufficient airflow, overheating, flame propagation, etc. But he said it was his aircraft and he always wanted to do this. No problems occurred during engine start, but it still bothered me. The captain then elected to allow a flight attendant to ride the jumpseat during takeoff (and the subsequent approach and landing). He said it was not against FARS since they were crew members and trained observers, but I told him I thought they had to be licensed pilots. We discussed it further and he allowed 2 different attendants to ride, 1 at takeoff and 1 at approach. Not only do I think this was inappropriate, but he ensured that they arrived in the jumpseat and got out of the jumpseat prior to receiving ground handling, ie, he did not want them seen in the cockpit. Although not a big deal, because I know other carriers that allow flight attendants to ride the cockpit jumpseat (it's in their operations specifications), this created a disharmony among the crew and I felt that if the captain would disregard the rules when we were under close observation by the FAA, what would he do at another time? I feel I should have been more assertive, but would walking off the aircraft have helped? That is what it would have taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 CAPT ALLOWS CABIN ATTENDANT IN JUMP SEAT FOR TKOF AND FOR LNDG. FO OBJECTS TO CAPT'S ENG START PROC AS WELL, STARTING BOTH ENGS AT THE SAME TIME.

Narrative: DURING THE LAST DAY OF AN ACR'S FLTS PRIOR TO TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE SURRENDER, MY CAPT AND I HAD SEVERAL DISAGREEMENTS. FIRST, SINCE IT WAS THE LAST FLT WITH THIS CARRIER, HE ELECTED TO FLY THE LEG (NO PROB). PROC DICTATES THAT THE PF STARTS THE ENGS AND HE ELECTED TO START THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY (PROB). I BROUGHT UP THE OBVIOUS OBJECTIONS BASED ON APU LOADING +/- OVERTEMP, ENG DAMAGE DUE TO INSUFFICIENT AIRFLOW, OVERHEATING, FLAME PROPAGATION, ETC. BUT HE SAID IT WAS HIS ACFT AND HE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THIS. NO PROBS OCCURRED DURING ENG START, BUT IT STILL BOTHERED ME. THE CAPT THEN ELECTED TO ALLOW A FLT ATTENDANT TO RIDE THE JUMPSEAT DURING TKOF (AND THE SUBSEQUENT APCH AND LNDG). HE SAID IT WAS NOT AGAINST FARS SINCE THEY WERE CREW MEMBERS AND TRAINED OBSERVERS, BUT I TOLD HIM I THOUGHT THEY HAD TO BE LICENSED PLTS. WE DISCUSSED IT FURTHER AND HE ALLOWED 2 DIFFERENT ATTENDANTS TO RIDE, 1 AT TKOF AND 1 AT APCH. NOT ONLY DO I THINK THIS WAS INAPPROPRIATE, BUT HE ENSURED THAT THEY ARRIVED IN THE JUMPSEAT AND GOT OUT OF THE JUMPSEAT PRIOR TO RECEIVING GND HANDLING, IE, HE DID NOT WANT THEM SEEN IN THE COCKPIT. ALTHOUGH NOT A BIG DEAL, BECAUSE I KNOW OTHER CARRIERS THAT ALLOW FLT ATTENDANTS TO RIDE THE COCKPIT JUMPSEAT (IT'S IN THEIR OPS SPECS), THIS CREATED A DISHARMONY AMONG THE CREW AND I FELT THAT IF THE CAPT WOULD DISREGARD THE RULES WHEN WE WERE UNDER CLOSE OBSERVATION BY THE FAA, WHAT WOULD HE DO AT ANOTHER TIME? I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ASSERTIVE, BUT WOULD WALKING OFF THE ACFT HAVE HELPED? THAT IS WHAT IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN.

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.