Narrative:

Short taxi, short flight, high workload, new tps, new first officer. WX radar required for departure to verify no embedded cells on departure route. Anti-icing required on departure climb, short cruise, STAR descent with various restrs, vectors to a visual approach, good WX at destination (sat). FAA inspector sitting on jump seat. Flight went very well. However, the FAA debrief was somewhat disconcerting. He stated that we rotated early, nosewheel wanted to start off the runway early which was noticed and immediately corrected. He agreed with this assessment. Normal rotation occurred without further incident during takeoff. Due to the high workload of this short flight, I assumed some functions normally performed by the PNF such as turning on engine and wing anti-ice while the first officer was engaged on the radios getting a vector to intercept the departure SID. It was also a busy time for departure control. During descent into sat, I briefed the ILS approach to runway 12 covering all of the mandatory items, as well as items normally covered if it were to be IFR conditions. FAA inspector was concerned because I did not brief the facility from which the minimum sector altitudes were based upon. In the debrief, I immediately showed him the approach chart and explained that I had a complete understanding of what he was referring to. On taxi out at dfw, FAA inspector voiced a concern over my rechking the door lights during taxi out. The reason I rechked the lights was because I was distraction while the first officer performed the initial check and wanted to reverify that. FAA inspector arrived at aircraft approximately 5 mins before departure. Shortly after his arrival he stated that he was returning from baltimore where he busted a crew for not understanding the function of one of the light switch position. A few comments about recent cockpit crew news stories and public perception of these stories set a tone for this ride that was not appreciated. The tone in the debrief was not pleasant either. I am always interested in doing my best to objectively review procedures and crew coordination procedures -- especially if it leads to improvements in safety and attainment of a higher level of professionalism. I sincerely hope I misread the intimidating tone of this inspector's debrief.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN FAA ACI MAKES HIMSELF A PERSONA NON GRATA ABOARD AN S80 WITH HIS INTIMIDATING MANNER PRIOR TO A LINE CHK OF THE CREW FROM DFW. TX.

Narrative: SHORT TAXI, SHORT FLT, HIGH WORKLOAD, NEW TPS, NEW FO. WX RADAR REQUIRED FOR DEP TO VERIFY NO EMBEDDED CELLS ON DEP RTE. ANTI-ICING REQUIRED ON DEP CLB, SHORT CRUISE, STAR DSCNT WITH VARIOUS RESTRS, VECTORS TO A VISUAL APCH, GOOD WX AT DEST (SAT). FAA INSPECTOR SITTING ON JUMP SEAT. FLT WENT VERY WELL. HOWEVER, THE FAA DEBRIEF WAS SOMEWHAT DISCONCERTING. HE STATED THAT WE ROTATED EARLY, NOSEWHEEL WANTED TO START OFF THE RWY EARLY WHICH WAS NOTICED AND IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED. HE AGREED WITH THIS ASSESSMENT. NORMAL ROTATION OCCURRED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT DURING TKOF. DUE TO THE HIGH WORKLOAD OF THIS SHORT FLT, I ASSUMED SOME FUNCTIONS NORMALLY PERFORMED BY THE PNF SUCH AS TURNING ON ENG AND WING ANTI-ICE WHILE THE FO WAS ENGAGED ON THE RADIOS GETTING A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE DEP SID. IT WAS ALSO A BUSY TIME FOR DEP CTL. DURING DSCNT INTO SAT, I BRIEFED THE ILS APCH TO RWY 12 COVERING ALL OF THE MANDATORY ITEMS, AS WELL AS ITEMS NORMALLY COVERED IF IT WERE TO BE IFR CONDITIONS. FAA INSPECTOR WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE I DID NOT BRIEF THE FACILITY FROM WHICH THE MINIMUM SECTOR ALTS WERE BASED UPON. IN THE DEBRIEF, I IMMEDIATELY SHOWED HIM THE APCH CHART AND EXPLAINED THAT I HAD A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HE WAS REFERRING TO. ON TAXI OUT AT DFW, FAA INSPECTOR VOICED A CONCERN OVER MY RECHKING THE DOOR LIGHTS DURING TAXI OUT. THE REASON I RECHKED THE LIGHTS WAS BECAUSE I WAS DISTR WHILE THE FO PERFORMED THE INITIAL CHK AND WANTED TO REVERIFY THAT. FAA INSPECTOR ARRIVED AT ACFT APPROX 5 MINS BEFORE DEP. SHORTLY AFTER HIS ARR HE STATED THAT HE WAS RETURNING FROM BALTIMORE WHERE HE BUSTED A CREW FOR NOT UNDERSTANDING THE FUNCTION OF ONE OF THE LIGHT SWITCH POS. A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT RECENT COCKPIT CREW NEWS STORIES AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THESE STORIES SET A TONE FOR THIS RIDE THAT WAS NOT APPRECIATED. THE TONE IN THE DEBRIEF WAS NOT PLEASANT EITHER. I AM ALWAYS INTERESTED IN DOING MY BEST TO OBJECTIVELY REVIEW PROCS AND CREW COORD PROCS -- ESPECIALLY IF IT LEADS TO IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY AND ATTAINMENT OF A HIGHER LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM. I SINCERELY HOPE I MISREAD THE INTIMIDATING TONE OF THIS INSPECTOR'S DEBRIEF.

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.