Dehavilland dash 8 ramp check by FAA inspector who believed that the first officer did not have the ...

Attributes
ACN	542844
Time
Date	200203
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 2400 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	542844
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance FAA
Primary Problem	FAA
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

FAA inspector comes onboard very rude and arrogant. First with flight attendant and then came up and checked our license and medical. After that he then requests to see our commercial chart revisions. I showed up for work very early morning after being on vacation for almost 2 weeks. I received my latest revision #5 from my mailbox and brought it with me. I referenced the airports I was operating in and out of for the day which did not apply. I then was going to enter this revision in my commercial chart between flts as the day would unfold. I told this to the inspector. He said that I was so far behind that I should be up to revision #7 or #8 and then threatened to suspend my license for 4 to 5 months. I politely told him that revision #5 is our most current revision. I called the chief pilot and told him of the inspection. They confirmed with us that revision #5 is indeed the most current revision and this gave me comfort. The inspector then looked at my captain's revisions and indeed he had revision #5 in his commercial chart. The inspector stormed off the airplane with such an attitude that it flustered us so bad that we felt like returning back to the gate and canceling the flight, but we pushed on. It is very difficult to function as a crew member when the FAA threatens to suspend your flying for 4 to 5 months when in fact I went through my current revision #5 to see if it applies to my operation for the day which it did not. I am a first officer on a dash 8. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that his chief pilot had discussed this matter with the operator's FAA poi and was told that there did not seem to be a violation based on the information furnished by the flight crew. The reporter has not heard, or received, anything further regarding this matter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEHAVILLAND DASH 8 RAMP CHK BY FAA INSPECTOR WHO BELIEVED THAT THE FO DID NOT HAVE THE LATEST APCH CHART REVISIONS AND BECAUSE OF THIS THREATENED TO SUSPEND HIS PLT CERTIFICATE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS.

Narrative: FAA INSPECTOR COMES ONBOARD VERY RUDE AND ARROGANT. FIRST WITH FLT ATTENDANT AND THEN CAME UP AND CHKED OUR LICENSE AND MEDICAL. AFTER THAT HE THEN REQUESTS TO SEE OUR COMMERCIAL CHART REVISIONS. I SHOWED UP FOR WORK VERY EARLY MORNING AFTER BEING ON VACATION FOR ALMOST 2 WKS. I RECEIVED MY LATEST REVISION #5 FROM MY MAILBOX AND BROUGHT IT WITH ME. I REFED THE ARPTS I WAS OPERATING IN AND OUT OF FOR THE DAY WHICH DID NOT APPLY. I THEN WAS GOING TO ENTER THIS REVISION IN MY COMMERCIAL CHART BTWN FLTS AS THE DAY WOULD UNFOLD. I TOLD THIS TO THE INSPECTOR. HE SAID THAT I WAS SO FAR BEHIND THAT I SHOULD BE UP TO REVISION #7 OR #8 AND THEN THREATENED TO SUSPEND MY LICENSE FOR 4 TO 5 MONTHS. I POLITELY TOLD HIM THAT REVISION #5 IS OUR MOST CURRENT REVISION. I CALLED THE CHIEF PLT AND TOLD HIM OF THE INSPECTION. THEY CONFIRMED WITH US THAT REVISION #5 IS INDEED THE MOST CURRENT REVISION AND THIS GAVE ME COMFORT. THE INSPECTOR THEN LOOKED AT MY CAPT'S REVISIONS AND INDEED HE HAD REVISION #5 IN HIS COMMERCIAL CHART. THE INSPECTOR STORMED OFF THE AIRPLANE WITH SUCH AN ATTITUDE THAT IT FLUSTERED US SO BAD THAT WE FELT LIKE RETURNING BACK TO THE GATE AND CANCELING THE FLT, BUT WE PUSHED ON. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO FUNCTION AS A CREW MEMBER WHEN THE FAA THREATENS TO SUSPEND YOUR FLYING FOR 4 TO 5 MONTHS WHEN IN FACT I WENT THROUGH MY CURRENT REVISION #5 TO SEE IF IT APPLIES TO MY OP FOR THE DAY WHICH IT DID NOT. I AM A FO ON A DASH 8. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HIS CHIEF PLT HAD DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH THE OPERATOR'S FAA POI AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE A VIOLATION BASED ON THE INFO FURNISHED BY THE FLC. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD, OR RECEIVED, ANYTHING FURTHER REGARDING THIS MATTER.

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.

Dehavilland dash 8 ramp check by FAA inspector who believed that the first officer did not have the latest approach chart revisions and because of this threatened to suspend his pilot certificate for several months.