Narrative:

I was captain on flight xyz on sep/xa/99. FAA inspector entered cockpit and asked for our credentials, then went into cabin during boarding to inspect. 5 mins prior to departure, he stated our lavatory trash bin doors were not in compliance with airworthiness directive 74-08-09r2 and part 121.308 and 121.308B. After 3 1/2 hours delay and phone calls to the company maintenance coordinator and the atlanta FAA FSDO, they determined the aircraft was indeed in compliance with airworthiness directive 74-08-09r2 and part 121.308, 121.308B. With the backing of the FAA atlanta FSDO and company maintenance, and our contract maintenance, and a teletype from company stating the aircraft was safe to fly and in compliance with all airworthiness directives and FARS, we blocked and closed all lavatories just to be sure, and the aircraft took off with all appropriate logbook paperwork complete. Inspector of the miami FSDO stated he was not getting on the aircraft with us because it was not safe and not in compliance with airworthiness directives or FARS. He also said he would take action against myself and my company. Because of this threat, I am submitting this report. On arrival in atlanta, our maintenance people said the aircraft was normal and in compliance. Supplemental information from acn 448240: prior to pushback, an FAA maintenance inspector, who was going to ride our jump seat, advised us all 3 lavatories were not in compliance with an airworthiness directive. (He was from the mia FSDO.) our company complied with the airworthiness directive several yrs ago and it was checked to be in compliance by the atl FSDO. This inspector was interested in violating us. It seems to be the FSDO in mia is not standard with the FSDO in atl. To be legal for dispatch in the opinion of the inspector, we put all 3 lavatories on the MEL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 CREW RPTED THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE MIA FSDO CAUSED A 3 PT 5 HR DELAY DUE TO HIS PERCEPTION THAT THE LAVATORY TRASH BIN DOORS WERE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. THE CREW TOOK OFF AFTER THE ATL FSDO, COMPANY MAINT, AND CONTRACT MAINT ALL CONCURRED THAT THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH. THE INSPECTOR THREATENED ACTION AGAINST CAPT.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT ON FLT XYZ ON SEP/XA/99. FAA INSPECTOR ENTERED COCKPIT AND ASKED FOR OUR CREDENTIALS, THEN WENT INTO CABIN DURING BOARDING TO INSPECT. 5 MINS PRIOR TO DEP, HE STATED OUR LAVATORY TRASH BIN DOORS WERE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 74-08-09R2 AND PART 121.308 AND 121.308B. AFTER 3 1/2 HRS DELAY AND PHONE CALLS TO THE COMPANY MAINT COORDINATOR AND THE ATLANTA FAA FSDO, THEY DETERMINED THE ACFT WAS INDEED IN COMPLIANCE WITH AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 74-08-09R2 AND PART 121.308, 121.308B. WITH THE BACKING OF THE FAA ATLANTA FSDO AND COMPANY MAINT, AND OUR CONTRACT MAINT, AND A TELETYPE FROM COMPANY STATING THE ACFT WAS SAFE TO FLY AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES AND FARS, WE BLOCKED AND CLOSED ALL LAVATORIES JUST TO BE SURE, AND THE ACFT TOOK OFF WITH ALL APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK PAPERWORK COMPLETE. INSPECTOR OF THE MIAMI FSDO STATED HE WAS NOT GETTING ON THE ACFT WITH US BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SAFE AND NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES OR FARS. HE ALSO SAID HE WOULD TAKE ACTION AGAINST MYSELF AND MY COMPANY. BECAUSE OF THIS THREAT, I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT. ON ARR IN ATLANTA, OUR MAINT PEOPLE SAID THE ACFT WAS NORMAL AND IN COMPLIANCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 448240: PRIOR TO PUSHBACK, AN FAA MAINT INSPECTOR, WHO WAS GOING TO RIDE OUR JUMP SEAT, ADVISED US ALL 3 LAVATORIES WERE NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. (HE WAS FROM THE MIA FSDO.) OUR COMPANY COMPLIED WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE SEVERAL YRS AGO AND IT WAS CHKED TO BE IN COMPLIANCE BY THE ATL FSDO. THIS INSPECTOR WAS INTERESTED IN VIOLATING US. IT SEEMS TO BE THE FSDO IN MIA IS NOT STANDARD WITH THE FSDO IN ATL. TO BE LEGAL FOR DISPATCH IN THE OPINION OF THE INSPECTOR, WE PUT ALL 3 LAVATORIES ON THE MEL.

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.