Narrative:

This is a follow-up to the report on the same flight with the rest of the story as it became available to me. Shortly after reaching cruise, the #3 flight attendant came into the cockpit and told me that a passenger seated in xx had displayed an FAA identify to him and had said that he was with the FAA and was off duty, but was going to put himself on duty because the #1 flight attendant who was doing the PA for the safety demonstration was talking too fast and slurring her words and he was going to make a report on the incident. He wished to talk to the #1 flight attendant and from what I understood wanted her to come to his seat. She came to ask me if she should talk to him and knowing a moderate passenger load, I advised her that she should refrain from discussing any sensitive topics within earshot of any passenger. He apparently waited until I turned off the seatbelt sign and then approached her in the forward galley. During this period of time I was thinking that this is not typical FAA operation that I was familiar with and was beginning to wonder if maybe I had some form of security problem on board the aircraft since this person had not idented himself previously as an FAA inspector. I notified my dispatcher who in turn got a hold of the FAA northwest region person on duty who advised that they did have an FAA inspector (name) at the xa FSDO. Later, one of the flight attendants came up and told me that he had asked if I knew he was on board and wished to speak with him. I advised that if there was an immediate concern with the safety of the aircraft I wanted to know what it was, otherwise I would speak with him on arrival at pdx. I heard no more the rest of the flight. I made it a point to be in the cockpit door when the passenger deplaned so that I would be available for him. The inspector did not bother to identify himself to me as he deplaned and once pointed out to me by the flight attendants I finally caught up with him 1/2 way down the concourse (not the jetbridge -- but the concourse). I asked him if there was a problem, and he explained that the safety demonstration PA could not be understood and that it was a safety violation and he would put it in his report. He also made it a point to tell me that the #3 flight attendant was rude to him until he found out who he was. I asked to see his identify and he asked for mine. We exchanged information and went on our separate ways. I normally monitor the PA's in the backgnd to determine if we are ready for takeoff and I do not recall anything but a normal sounding PA from the #1 flight attendant. The other flight attendants apparently asked some of the passenger if they heard and understood her PA's and they all said yes. The more I think about this, the more I am bothered by a couple of points. First, I find it unusual for an FAA inspector to come out of the woodwork during the middle of a flight. I would hope that one would if there is an immediate problem, but since it was not brought to my attention until after we had leveled off, I have to think that he did not feel that way. Secondly, discussing this while en route certainly did wonders for the #1 flight attendant and her frame of mind. I asked her how she was doing since she has only been flying for 1 1/2 yrs and had never dealt with anything like this. She said she was ok, but I could tell she was upset. I didn't appreciate the period of time that I sat there wondering if I had some weirdo in the back impersonating an official and what else might happen. I felt much better once I got confirmation of who he was, but I would think that an FAA inspector would be sensitive to this kind of thing. Also, from my point of view, he had no intention of talking to me in pdx since I had to chase him down and ask what the problem was. While I certainly cannot hear the safety demonstration from the cabin, I could hear it from my audio panel as well as the 2 previous legs and the one after this flight and I can only say that it sounded normal to me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA INSPECTOR RIDING AS A PAX ABOARD A SUPER MD80 THREATENED TO MAKE A SAFETY VIOLATION RPT REGARDING THE INADEQUACY OF THE CABIN ATTENDANT'S PREFLT PAX SAFETY BRIEFING PA SINCE IT WAS NOT UNDERSTANDABLE.

Narrative: THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE RPT ON THE SAME FLT WITH THE REST OF THE STORY AS IT BECAME AVAILABLE TO ME. SHORTLY AFTER REACHING CRUISE, THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND TOLD ME THAT A PAX SEATED IN XX HAD DISPLAYED AN FAA IDENT TO HIM AND HAD SAID THAT HE WAS WITH THE FAA AND WAS OFF DUTY, BUT WAS GOING TO PUT HIMSELF ON DUTY BECAUSE THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS DOING THE PA FOR THE SAFETY DEMO WAS TALKING TOO FAST AND SLURRING HER WORDS AND HE WAS GOING TO MAKE A RPT ON THE INCIDENT. HE WISHED TO TALK TO THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND FROM WHAT I UNDERSTOOD WANTED HER TO COME TO HIS SEAT. SHE CAME TO ASK ME IF SHE SHOULD TALK TO HIM AND KNOWING A MODERATE PAX LOAD, I ADVISED HER THAT SHE SHOULD REFRAIN FROM DISCUSSING ANY SENSITIVE TOPICS WITHIN EARSHOT OF ANY PAX. HE APPARENTLY WAITED UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE SEATBELT SIGN AND THEN APCHED HER IN THE FORWARD GALLEY. DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME I WAS THINKING THAT THIS IS NOT TYPICAL FAA OP THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH AND WAS BEGINNING TO WONDER IF MAYBE I HAD SOME FORM OF SECURITY PROB ON BOARD THE ACFT SINCE THIS PERSON HAD NOT IDENTED HIMSELF PREVIOUSLY AS AN FAA INSPECTOR. I NOTIFIED MY DISPATCHER WHO IN TURN GOT A HOLD OF THE FAA NW REGION PERSON ON DUTY WHO ADVISED THAT THEY DID HAVE AN FAA INSPECTOR (NAME) AT THE XA FSDO. LATER, ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CAME UP AND TOLD ME THAT HE HAD ASKED IF I KNEW HE WAS ON BOARD AND WISHED TO SPEAK WITH HIM. I ADVISED THAT IF THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE CONCERN WITH THE SAFETY OF THE ACFT I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IT WAS, OTHERWISE I WOULD SPEAK WITH HIM ON ARR AT PDX. I HEARD NO MORE THE REST OF THE FLT. I MADE IT A POINT TO BE IN THE COCKPIT DOOR WHEN THE PAX DEPLANED SO THAT I WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR HIM. THE INSPECTOR DID NOT BOTHER TO IDENT HIMSELF TO ME AS HE DEPLANED AND ONCE POINTED OUT TO ME BY THE FLT ATTENDANTS I FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH HIM 1/2 WAY DOWN THE CONCOURSE (NOT THE JETBRIDGE -- BUT THE CONCOURSE). I ASKED HIM IF THERE WAS A PROB, AND HE EXPLAINED THAT THE SAFETY DEMO PA COULD NOT BE UNDERSTOOD AND THAT IT WAS A SAFETY VIOLATION AND HE WOULD PUT IT IN HIS RPT. HE ALSO MADE IT A POINT TO TELL ME THAT THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT WAS RUDE TO HIM UNTIL HE FOUND OUT WHO HE WAS. I ASKED TO SEE HIS IDENT AND HE ASKED FOR MINE. WE EXCHANGED INFO AND WENT ON OUR SEPARATE WAYS. I NORMALLY MONITOR THE PA'S IN THE BACKGND TO DETERMINE IF WE ARE READY FOR TKOF AND I DO NOT RECALL ANYTHING BUT A NORMAL SOUNDING PA FROM THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT. THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS APPARENTLY ASKED SOME OF THE PAX IF THEY HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD HER PA'S AND THEY ALL SAID YES. THE MORE I THINK ABOUT THIS, THE MORE I AM BOTHERED BY A COUPLE OF POINTS. FIRST, I FIND IT UNUSUAL FOR AN FAA INSPECTOR TO COME OUT OF THE WOODWORK DURING THE MIDDLE OF A FLT. I WOULD HOPE THAT ONE WOULD IF THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE PROB, BUT SINCE IT WAS NOT BROUGHT TO MY ATTN UNTIL AFTER WE HAD LEVELED OFF, I HAVE TO THINK THAT HE DID NOT FEEL THAT WAY. SECONDLY, DISCUSSING THIS WHILE ENRTE CERTAINLY DID WONDERS FOR THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT AND HER FRAME OF MIND. I ASKED HER HOW SHE WAS DOING SINCE SHE HAS ONLY BEEN FLYING FOR 1 1/2 YRS AND HAD NEVER DEALT WITH ANYTHING LIKE THIS. SHE SAID SHE WAS OK, BUT I COULD TELL SHE WAS UPSET. I DIDN'T APPRECIATE THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT I SAT THERE WONDERING IF I HAD SOME WEIRDO IN THE BACK IMPERSONATING AN OFFICIAL AND WHAT ELSE MIGHT HAPPEN. I FELT MUCH BETTER ONCE I GOT CONFIRMATION OF WHO HE WAS, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR WOULD BE SENSITIVE TO THIS KIND OF THING. ALSO, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, HE HAD NO INTENTION OF TALKING TO ME IN PDX SINCE I HAD TO CHASE HIM DOWN AND ASK WHAT THE PROB WAS. WHILE I CERTAINLY CANNOT HEAR THE SAFETY DEMO FROM THE CABIN, I COULD HEAR IT FROM MY AUDIO PANEL AS WELL AS THE 2 PREVIOUS LEGS AND THE ONE AFTER THIS FLT AND I CAN ONLY SAY THAT IT SOUNDED NORMAL TO ME.

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.