Narrative:

After takeoff, the #4 flight attendant told me (#2 flight attendant) that the passenger in seat B rang his call light and wanted to speak to the 'male steward.' I went to his seat and the first thing he said was 'I'm an FAA inspector, you're in violation of not doing a seatbelt check before takeoff and that bag over there (in row X) is sticking out too far.' 'I want your name,' he said. I told him 'why are you singling me out of 4 crew members? We are all responsible for the cabin.' he said 'I saw that you did not do a seatbelt check.' 'I want your name,' he said again. I said 'I would like to see your FAA badge.' he said 'you want to see my badge, you're in big trouble now.' he pulled out an X bank visa card. I said 'this is not an appropriate identify, I can have you speak with the captain.' I went to the cockpit, told the captain the story. He came back out and went to passenger in row xx alone. He (captain) then came back to me (on the beverage cart) and said, 'do you have the right seat number, because that passenger said he didn't say that.' I then went back to passenger in row xx with the captain and said, while pointing at him, 'this man told me he was an FAA inspector.' he had the nerve to say 'I did not.' I said 'you are a bold face liar.' the captain told him he had committed a felony by impersonating an FAA inspector. If he chose to say anything else he would have him taken off the plane in bna in handcuffs. Upon landing, police and FAA met the flight. Passenger and myself were both interviewed. He denied everything. I feel passenger row xx should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. He impersonated and lied. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the man didn't appear to be intoxicated or suspicious looking. In fact, he turned out to be a college professor, according to the FAA investigator who interviewed him. The FAA inspector chose not to arrest the passenger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, MD80, LGA-BNA, PAX IMPERSONATED FAA INSPECTOR. CAPT CALLED FOR POLICE TO MEET FLT. PAX DETAINED FOR INTERROGATION BY FAA.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF, THE #4 FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME (#2 FLT ATTENDANT) THAT THE PAX IN SEAT B RANG HIS CALL LIGHT AND WANTED TO SPEAK TO THE 'MALE STEWARD.' I WENT TO HIS SEAT AND THE FIRST THING HE SAID WAS 'I'M AN FAA INSPECTOR, YOU'RE IN VIOLATION OF NOT DOING A SEATBELT CHK BEFORE TKOF AND THAT BAG OVER THERE (IN ROW X) IS STICKING OUT TOO FAR.' 'I WANT YOUR NAME,' HE SAID. I TOLD HIM 'WHY ARE YOU SINGLING ME OUT OF 4 CREW MEMBERS? WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CABIN.' HE SAID 'I SAW THAT YOU DID NOT DO A SEATBELT CHK.' 'I WANT YOUR NAME,' HE SAID AGAIN. I SAID 'I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR FAA BADGE.' HE SAID 'YOU WANT TO SEE MY BADGE, YOU'RE IN BIG TROUBLE NOW.' HE PULLED OUT AN X BANK VISA CARD. I SAID 'THIS IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE IDENT, I CAN HAVE YOU SPEAK WITH THE CAPT.' I WENT TO THE COCKPIT, TOLD THE CAPT THE STORY. HE CAME BACK OUT AND WENT TO PAX IN ROW XX ALONE. HE (CAPT) THEN CAME BACK TO ME (ON THE BEVERAGE CART) AND SAID, 'DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT SEAT NUMBER, BECAUSE THAT PAX SAID HE DIDN'T SAY THAT.' I THEN WENT BACK TO PAX IN ROW XX WITH THE CAPT AND SAID, WHILE POINTING AT HIM, 'THIS MAN TOLD ME HE WAS AN FAA INSPECTOR.' HE HAD THE NERVE TO SAY 'I DID NOT.' I SAID 'YOU ARE A BOLD FACE LIAR.' THE CAPT TOLD HIM HE HAD COMMITTED A FELONY BY IMPERSONATING AN FAA INSPECTOR. IF HE CHOSE TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE HE WOULD HAVE HIM TAKEN OFF THE PLANE IN BNA IN HANDCUFFS. UPON LNDG, POLICE AND FAA MET THE FLT. PAX AND MYSELF WERE BOTH INTERVIEWED. HE DENIED EVERYTHING. I FEEL PAX ROW XX SHOULD BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW. HE IMPERSONATED AND LIED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE MAN DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE INTOXICATED OR SUSPICIOUS LOOKING. IN FACT, HE TURNED OUT TO BE A COLLEGE PROFESSOR, ACCORDING TO THE FAA INVESTIGATOR WHO INTERVIEWED HIM. THE FAA INSPECTOR CHOSE NOT TO ARREST THE PAX.

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.