Narrative:

Flight den-lax. Taxiing in to gate, the mechanic signaled us that we would be towing the remaining 30 ft in to the gate. The captain made a PA announcement to the passenger for them to 'remain seated until we are all the way in to the gate and the seatbelt sign is turned off.' we kept the seatbelt sign on, ran our tow-in checklist, and the mechanic towed us in to the gate uneventfully. As the passenger were deplaning, a man idented himself as an FAA inspector and that we had violated the FARS by towing the aircraft with passenger standing. We had no way to know this, however, because the cockpit door was closed. The flight attendants said they were busy trying to get everyone seated and could not call us and tell us people were up. In the future, I will doublechk with the flight attendants every time we stop short of the gate to make sure everyone is still seated. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that he had not heard from the FAA or the company regarding this event and doesn't expect to. He felt that the FAA inspector was not acting in a manner that would enhance the solution of any parallel problems in the future. Supplemental information from acn 435081: an FAA inspector told the captain he just cost the company a fine. A flight attendant should have told the cockpit that people were standing. We make no less than 1/2 dozen announcements during a flight about the seatbelt sign, but until the public is held accountable for disregarding the sign and crew's announcements, they won't change.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ALLEGED FAA INSPECTOR ALERTS THE FLC OF A B727 THAT THE COMPANY FACES A FINE OF $11000 FOR TOWING THE ACFT IN TO THE GATE WITH PAX STANDING.

Narrative: FLT DEN-LAX. TAXIING IN TO GATE, THE MECH SIGNALED US THAT WE WOULD BE TOWING THE REMAINING 30 FT IN TO THE GATE. THE CAPT MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX FOR THEM TO 'REMAIN SEATED UNTIL WE ARE ALL THE WAY IN TO THE GATE AND THE SEATBELT SIGN IS TURNED OFF.' WE KEPT THE SEATBELT SIGN ON, RAN OUR TOW-IN CHKLIST, AND THE MECH TOWED US IN TO THE GATE UNEVENTFULLY. AS THE PAX WERE DEPLANING, A MAN IDENTED HIMSELF AS AN FAA INSPECTOR AND THAT WE HAD VIOLATED THE FARS BY TOWING THE ACFT WITH PAX STANDING. WE HAD NO WAY TO KNOW THIS, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE COCKPIT DOOR WAS CLOSED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THEY WERE BUSY TRYING TO GET EVERYONE SEATED AND COULD NOT CALL US AND TELL US PEOPLE WERE UP. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL DOUBLECHK WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS EVERY TIME WE STOP SHORT OF THE GATE TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS STILL SEATED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT HE HAD NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA OR THE COMPANY REGARDING THIS EVENT AND DOESN'T EXPECT TO. HE FELT THAT THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS NOT ACTING IN A MANNER THAT WOULD ENHANCE THE SOLUTION OF ANY PARALLEL PROBS IN THE FUTURE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 435081: AN FAA INSPECTOR TOLD THE CAPT HE JUST COST THE COMPANY A FINE. A FLT ATTENDANT SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE COCKPIT THAT PEOPLE WERE STANDING. WE MAKE NO LESS THAN 1/2 DOZEN ANNOUNCEMENTS DURING A FLT ABOUT THE SEATBELT SIGN, BUT UNTIL THE PUBLIC IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR DISREGARDING THE SIGN AND CREW'S ANNOUNCEMENTS, THEY WON'T CHANGE.

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.