Narrative:

The situation is as follows: I was the PF on an A320 aircraft from jfk to ZZZ. I had recently completed my type rating and was performing IOE under the direct supervision of an IOE check airman. The ramp at ZZZ had recently undergone construction. Once shut down, the aircraft had to be towed from the taxiway in to the gate due to obstructions in the ramp area. After the aircraft was towed it was discovered that the jetbridge could not be docked with the aircraft due to a slight alignment error. At this point the check airman left the cockpit and made a PA to the passenger using a flight attendant PA hand set. While he was doing this, I was coordinating with the station ground personnel regarding the impending aircraft movement. I did not hear what the check airman said to the passenger. At this point, I waited for the passenger to situation back down in their seats. The IOE check airman was still in the passenger cabin. After waiting approximately 2 mins for the passenger to retake their seats, I inquired back to the check airman (now standing at the #1 flight attendant station) about when the passenger would retake their seats. I was told that there was not sufficient time and to order the ground personnel to reposition the aircraft. To make sure that I heard the command correctly I then specifically asked if he wanted to move the aircraft with the passenger still standing in the aisle and he said yes. I gave strong consideration to countermanding these instructions. It is a violation of the FARS and a violation of my company operations specifications to move the aircraft with passenger and bags in the aisles. I am at fault because I chose not to countermand these instructions because this was an evaluation event for me and I was the functional subordinate of the IOE check airman. Ironically enough, the aircraft was moved (with the passenger standing) in full view of the terminal building. The chief executive officer of the company and an audio reporter met this flight in ZZZ and then ultimately boarded the return flight back to jfk. Had any of our passenger on the inbound flight been injured during the realignment procedure it would have been in full view of the ceo and the audio reporter. To those of you that read this, don't do what I did. Do what is right -- comply with your operations specifications and with the FARS. Check airmen are not always right, they are fallible human beings too. Ironically, this same check airman failed me on my IOE event later in the day because, in his opinion, my command judgement is flawed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 PARKED ON A GATE WAS MOVED TO ANOTHER GATE WITH PAX AND BAGS STANDING IN THE AISLE.

Narrative: THE SIT IS AS FOLLOWS: I WAS THE PF ON AN A320 ACFT FROM JFK TO ZZZ. I HAD RECENTLY COMPLETED MY TYPE RATING AND WAS PERFORMING IOE UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF AN IOE CHK AIRMAN. THE RAMP AT ZZZ HAD RECENTLY UNDERGONE CONSTRUCTION. ONCE SHUT DOWN, THE ACFT HAD TO BE TOWED FROM THE TXWY IN TO THE GATE DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE RAMP AREA. AFTER THE ACFT WAS TOWED IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE JETBRIDGE COULD NOT BE DOCKED WITH THE ACFT DUE TO A SLIGHT ALIGNMENT ERROR. AT THIS POINT THE CHK AIRMAN LEFT THE COCKPIT AND MADE A PA TO THE PAX USING A FLT ATTENDANT PA HAND SET. WHILE HE WAS DOING THIS, I WAS COORDINATING WITH THE STATION GND PERSONNEL REGARDING THE IMPENDING ACFT MOVEMENT. I DID NOT HEAR WHAT THE CHK AIRMAN SAID TO THE PAX. AT THIS POINT, I WAITED FOR THE PAX TO SIT BACK DOWN IN THEIR SEATS. THE IOE CHK AIRMAN WAS STILL IN THE PAX CABIN. AFTER WAITING APPROX 2 MINS FOR THE PAX TO RETAKE THEIR SEATS, I INQUIRED BACK TO THE CHK AIRMAN (NOW STANDING AT THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT STATION) ABOUT WHEN THE PAX WOULD RETAKE THEIR SEATS. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TIME AND TO ORDER THE GND PERSONNEL TO REPOSITION THE ACFT. TO MAKE SURE THAT I HEARD THE COMMAND CORRECTLY I THEN SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF HE WANTED TO MOVE THE ACFT WITH THE PAX STILL STANDING IN THE AISLE AND HE SAID YES. I GAVE STRONG CONSIDERATION TO COUNTERMANDING THESE INSTRUCTIONS. IT IS A VIOLATION OF THE FARS AND A VIOLATION OF MY COMPANY OPS SPECS TO MOVE THE ACFT WITH PAX AND BAGS IN THE AISLES. I AM AT FAULT BECAUSE I CHOSE NOT TO COUNTERMAND THESE INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE THIS WAS AN EVALUATION EVENT FOR ME AND I WAS THE FUNCTIONAL SUBORDINATE OF THE IOE CHK AIRMAN. IRONICALLY ENOUGH, THE ACFT WAS MOVED (WITH THE PAX STANDING) IN FULL VIEW OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING. THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE COMPANY AND AN AUDIO RPTR MET THIS FLT IN ZZZ AND THEN ULTIMATELY BOARDED THE RETURN FLT BACK TO JFK. HAD ANY OF OUR PAX ON THE INBOUND FLT BEEN INJURED DURING THE REALIGNMENT PROC IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN FULL VIEW OF THE CEO AND THE AUDIO RPTR. TO THOSE OF YOU THAT READ THIS, DON'T DO WHAT I DID. DO WHAT IS RIGHT -- COMPLY WITH YOUR OPS SPECS AND WITH THE FARS. CHK AIRMEN ARE NOT ALWAYS RIGHT, THEY ARE FALLIBLE HUMAN BEINGS TOO. IRONICALLY, THIS SAME CHK AIRMAN FAILED ME ON MY IOE EVENT LATER IN THE DAY BECAUSE, IN HIS OPINION, MY COMMAND JUDGEMENT IS FLAWED.

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.