Narrative:

Mr X, FAA inspector, boarded our flight in sea to ride in the jump seat/line check to dtw. Mr X had a body odor that was odious and offensive. This odor was apparent to me as I passed him entering the flight deck. At that time I mentioned that there were going to be seats available in the back and invited him to have a seat in the main cabin. I sat down and completed my preflight and mentioned to him once again that he was welcome to a seat in the main cabin. He replied that he may do so once en route. I stated that I prefer he do it prior to departure rather than en route. He chose to remain on the flight deck. After the boarding door was closed and pushed back, the odor was still repugnant and very distracting to me. At that time I determined that the distraction and annoyance of this problem was affecting me and was now a safety of flight issue. I could not be encumbered to 4 hours of his underarm odor immediately behind me and I asked mr X to take a seat in the main cabin. My first inclination was to simply tolerate this problem. As an option, I offered mr X a seat in the main cabin to avoid an embarrassing situation for both he and myself. As I sat there in the moments that followed, I became annoyed at having to endure this situation. After missing 2 items on my 'before start' flow pattern (electric hydraulic pumps (4) and the rotating beacon) just prior to pushback, I determined that there were human factors affecting the safe conduct of this flight. We are specifically trained now through CRM to identify and address human factors (as well as others) that do affect or could possibly affect the safe conduct of the flight. As a result, I requested that mr X take a seat in the main cabin to eliminate this distraction from the flight deck. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that it was very hard to finally have to seat him in the cabin due to his body odor, but since he had just missed some prestart items due to the distraction, he felt it necessary. The inspector did go the cabin after checking with the first officer for his opinion. He did check the flight crew's airmen certificates before leaving. He also asked the lead flight attendant for her opinion. The captain did not hear from the inspector upon completion of the flight. The reporter did submit a safety report to the company and discussed the matter with his chief pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B757 SEATED AN FAA INSPECTOR, CONDUCTING A LINE CHK, IN THE CABIN BECAUSE OF A DISTRACTING BODY ODOR OF THE INSPECTOR.

Narrative: MR X, FAA INSPECTOR, BOARDED OUR FLT IN SEA TO RIDE IN THE JUMP SEAT/LINE CHK TO DTW. MR X HAD A BODY ODOR THAT WAS ODIOUS AND OFFENSIVE. THIS ODOR WAS APPARENT TO ME AS I PASSED HIM ENTERING THE FLT DECK. AT THAT TIME I MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE GOING TO BE SEATS AVAILABLE IN THE BACK AND INVITED HIM TO HAVE A SEAT IN THE MAIN CABIN. I SAT DOWN AND COMPLETED MY PREFLT AND MENTIONED TO HIM ONCE AGAIN THAT HE WAS WELCOME TO A SEAT IN THE MAIN CABIN. HE REPLIED THAT HE MAY DO SO ONCE ENRTE. I STATED THAT I PREFER HE DO IT PRIOR TO DEP RATHER THAN ENRTE. HE CHOSE TO REMAIN ON THE FLT DECK. AFTER THE BOARDING DOOR WAS CLOSED AND PUSHED BACK, THE ODOR WAS STILL REPUGNANT AND VERY DISTRACTING TO ME. AT THAT TIME I DETERMINED THAT THE DISTR AND ANNOYANCE OF THIS PROB WAS AFFECTING ME AND WAS NOW A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE. I COULD NOT BE ENCUMBERED TO 4 HRS OF HIS UNDERARM ODOR IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ME AND I ASKED MR X TO TAKE A SEAT IN THE MAIN CABIN. MY FIRST INCLINATION WAS TO SIMPLY TOLERATE THIS PROB. AS AN OPTION, I OFFERED MR X A SEAT IN THE MAIN CABIN TO AVOID AN EMBARRASSING SIT FOR BOTH HE AND MYSELF. AS I SAT THERE IN THE MOMENTS THAT FOLLOWED, I BECAME ANNOYED AT HAVING TO ENDURE THIS SIT. AFTER MISSING 2 ITEMS ON MY 'BEFORE START' FLOW PATTERN (ELECTRIC HYD PUMPS (4) AND THE ROTATING BEACON) JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK, I DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE HUMAN FACTORS AFFECTING THE SAFE CONDUCT OF THIS FLT. WE ARE SPECIFICALLY TRAINED NOW THROUGH CRM TO IDENT AND ADDRESS HUMAN FACTORS (AS WELL AS OTHERS) THAT DO AFFECT OR COULD POSSIBLY AFFECT THE SAFE CONDUCT OF THE FLT. AS A RESULT, I REQUESTED THAT MR X TAKE A SEAT IN THE MAIN CABIN TO ELIMINATE THIS DISTR FROM THE FLT DECK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT IT WAS VERY HARD TO FINALLY HAVE TO SEAT HIM IN THE CABIN DUE TO HIS BODY ODOR, BUT SINCE HE HAD JUST MISSED SOME PRESTART ITEMS DUE TO THE DISTR, HE FELT IT NECESSARY. THE INSPECTOR DID GO THE CABIN AFTER CHKING WITH THE FO FOR HIS OPINION. HE DID CHK THE FLC'S AIRMEN CERTIFICATES BEFORE LEAVING. HE ALSO ASKED THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT FOR HER OPINION. THE CAPT DID NOT HEAR FROM THE INSPECTOR UPON COMPLETION OF THE FLT. THE RPTR DID SUBMIT A SAFETY RPT TO THE COMPANY AND DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH HIS CHIEF PLT.

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.