Narrative:

Violation of the sterile cockpit rule. On flight from nrt to lax, the captain was given a line check. The line check went fairly normal with the line check airman exiting the flight deck well before leveloff at FL330. After which he came back to the flight deck some 2 hours out of los angeles. He was curious as to our arrival time, as he was catching a close connection to seattle on another airline. The approach and landing went fairly normal (as normal as can be expected in lax). Upon touching down and slowing to turnoff speed, we were told to make taxiway aa. This was no problem, as we were slow enough to comfortably make the turn. As we were turning off of the runway, the captain called for flaps up. Although I did not want to touch the flaps before exiting the runway, I complied with the captain's request. There was a B777 holding at the hold line for runway 24L and we were pulling in behind them. In a B747 we are not able to clear runway 24R and hold short of runway 24L and be 'clear' of runway 24R. The length of the B747 is too long. The B777 was cleared to cross runway 24L as we were exiting runway 24R. Although we are able to taxi to the runway 24L hold line, the tail of the aircraft still extends beyond the runway 24R hold line. As we were holding at the runway 24L hold line the line check airman got out of his seat and said, 'what are we holding for?' the captain said, 'I don't know.' the so immediately began the after landing check, even though the captain had not called for it. We completed the after landing check even though we were not clear of the active runway and the captain had not called for it. The check airman slid a piece of paper up to the captain and said, 'here, sign this when you have a chance.' the captain immediately signed the form. Being a hot, dry day and while we waited for a B757 and B737 to take off, and seeing that the line check airman had violated the sterile cockpit rule, I reached up and turned off the window heat. Our sopa says the window heat may be turned off at the gate if it is not needed. Of course, on a day like this, it is not needed on the ground. Then we were 'cleared to cross runway 24L, left turn on taxiway east, contact ground 121.65 when clear of runway 24L.' as we were crossing runway 24L and the nose of the aircraft approached taxiway east, the captain said we need to call ground. I complied, even though I knew that we were not clear of the active runway. Ground control cleared us via taxiway east to the gate. We taxied to the gate, at which time we waited maybe 1 min for external power. The so said external power is on the line. The captain did not respond, as he is a little hard of hearing. The captain said, 'let me know when you have external.' the so said 'oh yeah, we have external.' the captain and I completed our parking flow pattern, but the captain did not call for the parking check. The check airman being in a hurry did not wait for the parking check to be called for but instead said, 'when do you turn off the window heat?' I responded, 'at the gate after the engines are shut down.' he said, 'why did you turn it off before that time?' I, knowing that he had a valid point, said 'I did not want the check ride to be perfect.' he said very impudently, 'do not violate sopa. That would cost you a new check ride.' while the check airman was chastising me, the so got out of his seat and was cleaning up his charts and books. I began reading the parking check as the so was tidying up the cockpit. He answered from wherever he was. We completed the cockpit checklist and left the aircraft. I noticed as I got out of my seat that the check airman was gone. We went through customs and proceeded to the bus where the captain started kiddingly yelling at me about the window heat. Then he said that I do not like that check airman's attitude and started talking about the way he was bragging about getting flight attendants in trouble. The captain said, 'I guess he was going to jump on somebody about something.' I said that he must have been pissed at me because I was teasing him about not giving us a break during the flight. All of the crew members agreed that he had been a check airman too long and was in awe of his power. None of uswere impressed with the way he handled himself. Everyone on the flight deck is a member of the crew. Each person is responsible for abiding by the procedures that an airline establishes, including checklists and sterile cockpit. There were mistakes made by every individual crew member including the check airman. A violation of the sterile cockpit rule is a violation of the sterile cockpit rule whether it is a check airman or another crew member. Even during a check ride, all crew members must maintain discipline. As far as the arrogance, I believe that airlines must rotate check airman out of that position after a certain period of time. Most do not, but some become too power hungry and feel a little too important. The check airman made his own violations, but did not see fit to get on to himself. He knew that the captain was retiring in 7 months, so he saw fit to overlook his mistakes. Since he was in a hurry, he did not even wait around for the reading of the parking check. In brief, we all could be more professional and I appreciate sincere check airmen who are there to provide positive role models and instruction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747 FO RPT REGARDING THE PERFORMANCE OF A CHK AIRMAN ON BOARD THE FLT AFTER LNDG AT LAX, CA.

Narrative: VIOLATION OF THE STERILE COCKPIT RULE. ON FLT FROM NRT TO LAX, THE CAPT WAS GIVEN A LINE CHK. THE LINE CHK WENT FAIRLY NORMAL WITH THE LINE CHK AIRMAN EXITING THE FLT DECK WELL BEFORE LEVELOFF AT FL330. AFTER WHICH HE CAME BACK TO THE FLT DECK SOME 2 HRS OUT OF LOS ANGELES. HE WAS CURIOUS AS TO OUR ARR TIME, AS HE WAS CATCHING A CLOSE CONNECTION TO SEATTLE ON ANOTHER AIRLINE. THE APCH AND LNDG WENT FAIRLY NORMAL (AS NORMAL AS CAN BE EXPECTED IN LAX). UPON TOUCHING DOWN AND SLOWING TO TURNOFF SPD, WE WERE TOLD TO MAKE TXWY AA. THIS WAS NO PROB, AS WE WERE SLOW ENOUGH TO COMFORTABLY MAKE THE TURN. AS WE WERE TURNING OFF OF THE RWY, THE CAPT CALLED FOR FLAPS UP. ALTHOUGH I DID NOT WANT TO TOUCH THE FLAPS BEFORE EXITING THE RWY, I COMPLIED WITH THE CAPT'S REQUEST. THERE WAS A B777 HOLDING AT THE HOLD LINE FOR RWY 24L AND WE WERE PULLING IN BEHIND THEM. IN A B747 WE ARE NOT ABLE TO CLR RWY 24R AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 24L AND BE 'CLR' OF RWY 24R. THE LENGTH OF THE B747 IS TOO LONG. THE B777 WAS CLRED TO CROSS RWY 24L AS WE WERE EXITING RWY 24R. ALTHOUGH WE ARE ABLE TO TAXI TO THE RWY 24L HOLD LINE, THE TAIL OF THE ACFT STILL EXTENDS BEYOND THE RWY 24R HOLD LINE. AS WE WERE HOLDING AT THE RWY 24L HOLD LINE THE LINE CHK AIRMAN GOT OUT OF HIS SEAT AND SAID, 'WHAT ARE WE HOLDING FOR?' THE CAPT SAID, 'I DON'T KNOW.' THE SO IMMEDIATELY BEGAN THE AFTER LNDG CHK, EVEN THOUGH THE CAPT HAD NOT CALLED FOR IT. WE COMPLETED THE AFTER LNDG CHK EVEN THOUGH WE WERE NOT CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY AND THE CAPT HAD NOT CALLED FOR IT. THE CHK AIRMAN SLID A PIECE OF PAPER UP TO THE CAPT AND SAID, 'HERE, SIGN THIS WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE.' THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY SIGNED THE FORM. BEING A HOT, DRY DAY AND WHILE WE WAITED FOR A B757 AND B737 TO TAKE OFF, AND SEEING THAT THE LINE CHK AIRMAN HAD VIOLATED THE STERILE COCKPIT RULE, I REACHED UP AND TURNED OFF THE WINDOW HEAT. OUR SOPA SAYS THE WINDOW HEAT MAY BE TURNED OFF AT THE GATE IF IT IS NOT NEEDED. OF COURSE, ON A DAY LIKE THIS, IT IS NOT NEEDED ON THE GND. THEN WE WERE 'CLRED TO CROSS RWY 24L, L TURN ON TXWY E, CONTACT GND 121.65 WHEN CLR OF RWY 24L.' AS WE WERE XING RWY 24L AND THE NOSE OF THE ACFT APCHED TXWY E, THE CAPT SAID WE NEED TO CALL GND. I COMPLIED, EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THAT WE WERE NOT CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY. GND CTL CLRED US VIA TXWY E TO THE GATE. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE, AT WHICH TIME WE WAITED MAYBE 1 MIN FOR EXTERNAL PWR. THE SO SAID EXTERNAL PWR IS ON THE LINE. THE CAPT DID NOT RESPOND, AS HE IS A LITTLE HARD OF HEARING. THE CAPT SAID, 'LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE EXTERNAL.' THE SO SAID 'OH YEAH, WE HAVE EXTERNAL.' THE CAPT AND I COMPLETED OUR PARKING FLOW PATTERN, BUT THE CAPT DID NOT CALL FOR THE PARKING CHK. THE CHK AIRMAN BEING IN A HURRY DID NOT WAIT FOR THE PARKING CHK TO BE CALLED FOR BUT INSTEAD SAID, 'WHEN DO YOU TURN OFF THE WINDOW HEAT?' I RESPONDED, 'AT THE GATE AFTER THE ENGS ARE SHUT DOWN.' HE SAID, 'WHY DID YOU TURN IT OFF BEFORE THAT TIME?' I, KNOWING THAT HE HAD A VALID POINT, SAID 'I DID NOT WANT THE CHK RIDE TO BE PERFECT.' HE SAID VERY IMPUDENTLY, 'DO NOT VIOLATE SOPA. THAT WOULD COST YOU A NEW CHK RIDE.' WHILE THE CHK AIRMAN WAS CHASTISING ME, THE SO GOT OUT OF HIS SEAT AND WAS CLEANING UP HIS CHARTS AND BOOKS. I BEGAN READING THE PARKING CHK AS THE SO WAS TIDYING UP THE COCKPIT. HE ANSWERED FROM WHEREVER HE WAS. WE COMPLETED THE COCKPIT CHKLIST AND LEFT THE ACFT. I NOTICED AS I GOT OUT OF MY SEAT THAT THE CHK AIRMAN WAS GONE. WE WENT THROUGH CUSTOMS AND PROCEEDED TO THE BUS WHERE THE CAPT STARTED KIDDINGLY YELLING AT ME ABOUT THE WINDOW HEAT. THEN HE SAID THAT I DO NOT LIKE THAT CHK AIRMAN'S ATTITUDE AND STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE WAY HE WAS BRAGGING ABOUT GETTING FLT ATTENDANTS IN TROUBLE. THE CAPT SAID, 'I GUESS HE WAS GOING TO JUMP ON SOMEBODY ABOUT SOMETHING.' I SAID THAT HE MUST HAVE BEEN PISSED AT ME BECAUSE I WAS TEASING HIM ABOUT NOT GIVING US A BREAK DURING THE FLT. ALL OF THE CREW MEMBERS AGREED THAT HE HAD BEEN A CHK AIRMAN TOO LONG AND WAS IN AWE OF HIS PWR. NONE OF USWERE IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY HE HANDLED HIMSELF. EVERYONE ON THE FLT DECK IS A MEMBER OF THE CREW. EACH PERSON IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ABIDING BY THE PROCS THAT AN AIRLINE ESTABLISHES, INCLUDING CHKLISTS AND STERILE COCKPIT. THERE WERE MISTAKES MADE BY EVERY INDIVIDUAL CREW MEMBER INCLUDING THE CHK AIRMAN. A VIOLATION OF THE STERILE COCKPIT RULE IS A VIOLATION OF THE STERILE COCKPIT RULE WHETHER IT IS A CHK AIRMAN OR ANOTHER CREW MEMBER. EVEN DURING A CHK RIDE, ALL CREW MEMBERS MUST MAINTAIN DISCIPLINE. AS FAR AS THE ARROGANCE, I BELIEVE THAT AIRLINES MUST ROTATE CHK AIRMAN OUT OF THAT POS AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. MOST DO NOT, BUT SOME BECOME TOO PWR HUNGRY AND FEEL A LITTLE TOO IMPORTANT. THE CHK AIRMAN MADE HIS OWN VIOLATIONS, BUT DID NOT SEE FIT TO GET ON TO HIMSELF. HE KNEW THAT THE CAPT WAS RETIRING IN 7 MONTHS, SO HE SAW FIT TO OVERLOOK HIS MISTAKES. SINCE HE WAS IN A HURRY, HE DID NOT EVEN WAIT AROUND FOR THE READING OF THE PARKING CHK. IN BRIEF, WE ALL COULD BE MORE PROFESSIONAL AND I APPRECIATE SINCERE CHK AIRMEN WHO ARE THERE TO PROVIDE POSITIVE ROLE MODELS AND INSTRUCTION.

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.