PF donning then removing oxygen mask when PNF left the cockpit during an FAA en route check.

Attributes
ACN	427876
Time
Date	199902
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zoa
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 30
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 24000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	427876
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

En route from msp-hnl, when the first officer left the cockpit I put on my oxygen mask. Then the post-waypoint check came up and to plot our required position, I took off my oxygen mask and held it under arm. Shortly the first officer came back into the cockpit. He was gone 4-5 mins. I was observed by an air carrier inspector of donning the mask and then taking off the oxygen mask and not wearing it during the plotting of our position. All air carrier aircraft have quick donning oxygen masks. Xa has no memory items on their emergency checklist. It shouldn't make any difference whether the pilots are in/out of their seat or capacitated or incapacitated -- the pilot reactions should be the same. The passive need and urgency should be the same. The FAA, air traffic area and alpa need to reevaluate the wearing of the oxygen mask. For example if a pilot becomes incapacitated, should the first response be to put on the oxygen mask? The incapacitated pilot is not available in the event of a rapid decompression.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PF DONNING THEN REMOVING OXYGEN MASK WHEN PNF LEFT THE COCKPIT DURING AN FAA ENRTE CHK.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM MSP-HNL, WHEN THE FO LEFT THE COCKPIT I PUT ON MY OXYGEN MASK. THEN THE POST-WAYPOINT CHK CAME UP AND TO PLOT OUR REQUIRED POS, I TOOK OFF MY OXYGEN MASK AND HELD IT UNDER ARM. SHORTLY THE FO CAME BACK INTO THE COCKPIT. HE WAS GONE 4-5 MINS. I WAS OBSERVED BY AN ACR INSPECTOR OF DONNING THE MASK AND THEN TAKING OFF THE OXYGEN MASK AND NOT WEARING IT DURING THE PLOTTING OF OUR POS. ALL ACR ACFT HAVE QUICK DONNING OXYGEN MASKS. XA HAS NO MEMORY ITEMS ON THEIR EMER CHKLIST. IT SHOULDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE WHETHER THE PLTS ARE IN/OUT OF THEIR SEAT OR CAPACITATED OR INCAPACITATED -- THE PLT REACTIONS SHOULD BE THE SAME. THE PASSIVE NEED AND URGENCY SHOULD BE THE SAME. THE FAA, ATA AND ALPA NEED TO REEVALUATE THE WEARING OF THE OXYGEN MASK. FOR EXAMPLE IF A PLT BECOMES INCAPACITATED, SHOULD THE FIRST RESPONSE BE TO PUT ON THE OXYGEN MASK? THE INCAPACITATED PLT IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE EVENT OF A RAPID DECOMPRESSION.

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.