Narrative:

We had flown mia-mth, a small uncontrolled airport in the florida keys. My first officer was relatively new and did not have as much experience as most of the others I fly with. Before departure back to mia, an FAA inspector introduced himself and said he would like to ride in the cabin to do the flight attendant a cabin line check. Upon arrival in mia he asked me who, if anyone, did a postflt or preflight walkaround the aircraft in marathon. Since this is usually the first officer's duty, I looked at him to see if he had done the walkaround. He had not. The FAA inspector said thank you and handed me his card, then left. Oops! In discussing this with my first officer, I explained to him the importance of doing a proper pre and postflt inspection for each flight. Because he was new, and faced with a quick turn, and the paperwork for performance, weight and balance calculation, obtaining a clearance from uncontrolled field, monitoring unicom frequency, running checklists, etc, I guess the walkaround was low on his priority list. His plate was full, but I assumed (my mistake!) that everything would be taken care of, like a more experienced first officer would have done. It didn't dawn on me at the time that I could have easily lightened his load a bit by doing the walkaround myself. We are creatures of habit, and often get in a routine that doesn't always cover all of our bases. I am ultimately responsible to see that everything gets done properly. I dropped the ball on this one. In the future, I will get in the habit of taking just a few extra mins when I descend the stairway after each flight to do the postflt walkaround myself. It doesn't pay to get in a hurry.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MDT FAILED TO PERFORM PREFLT WALKAROUND INSPECTION RESULTING IN THE OMISSION BEING OBSERVED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR.

Narrative: WE HAD FLOWN MIA-MTH, A SMALL UNCTLED ARPT IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. MY FO WAS RELATIVELY NEW AND DID NOT HAVE AS MUCH EXPERIENCE AS MOST OF THE OTHERS I FLY WITH. BEFORE DEP BACK TO MIA, AN FAA INSPECTOR INTRODUCED HIMSELF AND SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO RIDE IN THE CABIN TO DO THE FLT ATTENDANT A CABIN LINE CHK. UPON ARR IN MIA HE ASKED ME WHO, IF ANYONE, DID A POSTFLT OR PREFLT WALKAROUND THE ACFT IN MARATHON. SINCE THIS IS USUALLY THE FO'S DUTY, I LOOKED AT HIM TO SEE IF HE HAD DONE THE WALKAROUND. HE HAD NOT. THE FAA INSPECTOR SAID THANK YOU AND HANDED ME HIS CARD, THEN LEFT. OOPS! IN DISCUSSING THIS WITH MY FO, I EXPLAINED TO HIM THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING A PROPER PRE AND POSTFLT INSPECTION FOR EACH FLT. BECAUSE HE WAS NEW, AND FACED WITH A QUICK TURN, AND THE PAPERWORK FOR PERFORMANCE, WT AND BAL CALCULATION, OBTAINING A CLRNC FROM UNCTLED FIELD, MONITORING UNICOM FREQ, RUNNING CHKLISTS, ETC, I GUESS THE WALKAROUND WAS LOW ON HIS PRIORITY LIST. HIS PLATE WAS FULL, BUT I ASSUMED (MY MISTAKE!) THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF, LIKE A MORE EXPERIENCED FO WOULD HAVE DONE. IT DIDN'T DAWN ON ME AT THE TIME THAT I COULD HAVE EASILY LIGHTENED HIS LOAD A BIT BY DOING THE WALKAROUND MYSELF. WE ARE CREATURES OF HABIT, AND OFTEN GET IN A ROUTINE THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS COVER ALL OF OUR BASES. I AM ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE TO SEE THAT EVERYTHING GETS DONE PROPERLY. I DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS ONE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL GET IN THE HABIT OF TAKING JUST A FEW EXTRA MINS WHEN I DSND THE STAIRWAY AFTER EACH FLT TO DO THE POSTFLT WALKAROUND MYSELF. IT DOESN'T PAY TO GET IN A HURRY.

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.