B737 captain questions the FAA legality of cockpit jump seat use by company ground personnel.

Attributes
ACN	406550
Time
Date	199806
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : abq
State Reference	NM
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 18500 flight time type : 13000
ASRS Report	406550
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Took a fellow employee on the jump seat on what I suggested and understood was an approved familiarization ride in which our flight attendants and operation agents are approved to do. It was a last min suggestion and decision which was fine with me, but was unaware of the approval change and paperwork.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT QUESTIONS THE FAA LEGALITY OF COCKPIT JUMP SEAT USE BY COMPANY GND PERSONNEL.

Narrative: TOOK A FELLOW EMPLOYEE ON THE JUMP SEAT ON WHAT I SUGGESTED AND UNDERSTOOD WAS AN APPROVED FAMILIARIZATION RIDE IN WHICH OUR FLT ATTENDANTS AND OP AGENTS ARE APPROVED TO DO. IT WAS A LAST MIN SUGGESTION AND DECISION WHICH WAS FINE WITH ME, BUT WAS UNAWARE OF THE APPROVAL CHANGE AND PAPERWORK.

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.