Narrative:

As the first officer was returning from a trip to the lavatory, a man wearing blue jeans and a polo shirt was standing in the forward galley. As the first officer opened the door, this man reached over and pulled the door open, looked into the cockpit, and observed the oxygen mask in my left hand. As it is my habit, and a bad one, I had removed the mask as I heard the cockpit door opening. This gentleman then said that he was an FAA inspector and that he had observed me not wearing my oxygen mask while the first officer was not at her station. I asked him for an identify and he had to go back to his seat in the main cabin to retrieve it. Prior to this event, the #1 flight attendant had informed us that there was a passenger that had idented himself to her as an off-duty FAA person and was in the process of selling (believe it or not) beanie babies to other passenger from his brief case. The passenger immediately returned to the cockpit door and showed me his identify. Indeed he was an FAA air safety inspector and I admitted him to the cockpit and he requested to see my airman's certificate and medical, declared himself on duty and informed me that he was going to violate me for failing to comply with FARS. I showed him my credentials, explained to him that I had just removed the oxygen mask. He said that I would be violated and left the cockpit. He did mention that he was the XXX office. I, of course, was completely in the wrong as I should have kept the mask on until the first officer was strapped in and certainly will do so from now on. Supplemental information from acn 433309: but FAA inspector was rude, unprofessional, and basically unsafe by charging in our cockpit without any identify.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA INSPECTOR OBSERVES CAPT NOT WEARING HIS OXYGEN MASK WHEN THE FO WAS OUT OF THE COCKPIT. CAPT ADMITS THAT HE HAD JUST TAKEN IT OFF, BUT STILL HOLDING IT IN HIS HAND.

Narrative: AS THE FO WAS RETURNING FROM A TRIP TO THE LAVATORY, A MAN WEARING BLUE JEANS AND A POLO SHIRT WAS STANDING IN THE FORWARD GALLEY. AS THE FO OPENED THE DOOR, THIS MAN REACHED OVER AND PULLED THE DOOR OPEN, LOOKED INTO THE COCKPIT, AND OBSERVED THE OXYGEN MASK IN MY L HAND. AS IT IS MY HABIT, AND A BAD ONE, I HAD REMOVED THE MASK AS I HEARD THE COCKPIT DOOR OPENING. THIS GENTLEMAN THEN SAID THAT HE WAS AN FAA INSPECTOR AND THAT HE HAD OBSERVED ME NOT WEARING MY OXYGEN MASK WHILE THE FO WAS NOT AT HER STATION. I ASKED HIM FOR AN IDENT AND HE HAD TO GO BACK TO HIS SEAT IN THE MAIN CABIN TO RETRIEVE IT. PRIOR TO THIS EVENT, THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT HAD INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS A PAX THAT HAD IDENTED HIMSELF TO HER AS AN OFF-DUTY FAA PERSON AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF SELLING (BELIEVE IT OR NOT) BEANIE BABIES TO OTHER PAX FROM HIS BRIEF CASE. THE PAX IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT DOOR AND SHOWED ME HIS IDENT. INDEED HE WAS AN FAA AIR SAFETY INSPECTOR AND I ADMITTED HIM TO THE COCKPIT AND HE REQUESTED TO SEE MY AIRMAN'S CERTIFICATE AND MEDICAL, DECLARED HIMSELF ON DUTY AND INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO VIOLATE ME FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH FARS. I SHOWED HIM MY CREDENTIALS, EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I HAD JUST REMOVED THE OXYGEN MASK. HE SAID THAT I WOULD BE VIOLATED AND LEFT THE COCKPIT. HE DID MENTION THAT HE WAS THE XXX OFFICE. I, OF COURSE, WAS COMPLETELY IN THE WRONG AS I SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE MASK ON UNTIL THE FO WAS STRAPPED IN AND CERTAINLY WILL DO SO FROM NOW ON. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 433309: BUT FAA INSPECTOR WAS RUDE, UNPROFESSIONAL, AND BASICALLY UNSAFE BY CHARGING IN OUR COCKPIT WITHOUT ANY IDENT.

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.