Narrative:

Shortly after reaching our cruising altitude, the #5 flight attendant called the cockpit to inform us that a passenger left his seat in coach and had come into the first class galley area and was now speaking with the purser. At that point, the passenger idented himself as an FAA safety inspector and told the purser he felt the crew had not been vigilant in enforcing the fasten seatbelt sign during our climb out. After completing the in-flight service, the purser discussed the inspector's concerns with the cabin crew and the inspector. Apparently, after the sterile chime at 10000 ft, the crew left their jumpseats, went to the galleys and began to set up the carts for the in-flight service. As we were climbing out in relatively smooth air, some of the passenger were getting out of their seats to use the lavatories. When they approached the lavatories, the crew advised them that the fasten seatbelt sign was still on and to be very careful in the lavatories. The entire departure and climb out was in VMC conditions and smooth air. As soon as we reached cruising altitude, I made my PA and turned off the fasten seatbelt sign. After arrival in miami, I brought the inspector up into the flight crew cabin away from the deplaning passenger to discuss his concerns. I agreed with him that the crew should do their best to enforce the fasten seatbelt sign. I felt like our crew had done that by speaking with the passenger that were using the lavatories and ensuring no passenger were standing in the aisles by their seats. I also told the inspector that in the current environment, the crew and any federal air marshals onboard would be extremely concerned about a passenger that leaves their seat in the back of the cabin and approachs the cockpit. I suggested to the inspector that in the future, he may want to ring his call button, identify himself to the crew, and ask to speak to the purser. At that point, the inspector said 'I want to see your licenses.' after we exchanged identify and license information, the inspector left the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised the inspector has initiated enforcement action against the flight attendants involved. He also reported that on a subsequent flight, he discussed the event with 2 federal air marshals, who supported his concerns regarding that inspector's actions approaching the cockpit from the aft cabin prior to identing his official status to the flight crew as being suspicious and actionable security issues.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA INSPECTOR INTERRUPTS CABIN SVC TO VERBALLY DISCIPLINE CABIN ATTENDANTS REGARDING HIS INTERP OF INADEQUATE ENFORCEMENT OF PAX COMPLIANCE WITH THE SEATBELT SIGN DURING CLB.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER REACHING OUR CRUISING ALT, THE #5 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT TO INFORM US THAT A PAX LEFT HIS SEAT IN COACH AND HAD COME INTO THE FIRST CLASS GALLEY AREA AND WAS NOW SPEAKING WITH THE PURSER. AT THAT POINT, THE PAX IDENTED HIMSELF AS AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR AND TOLD THE PURSER HE FELT THE CREW HAD NOT BEEN VIGILANT IN ENFORCING THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN DURING OUR CLBOUT. AFTER COMPLETING THE INFLT SVC, THE PURSER DISCUSSED THE INSPECTOR'S CONCERNS WITH THE CABIN CREW AND THE INSPECTOR. APPARENTLY, AFTER THE STERILE CHIME AT 10000 FT, THE CREW LEFT THEIR JUMPSEATS, WENT TO THE GALLEYS AND BEGAN TO SET UP THE CARTS FOR THE INFLT SVC. AS WE WERE CLBING OUT IN RELATIVELY SMOOTH AIR, SOME OF THE PAX WERE GETTING OUT OF THEIR SEATS TO USE THE LAVATORIES. WHEN THEY APCHED THE LAVATORIES, THE CREW ADVISED THEM THAT THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN WAS STILL ON AND TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN THE LAVATORIES. THE ENTIRE DEP AND CLBOUT WAS IN VMC CONDITIONS AND SMOOTH AIR. AS SOON AS WE REACHED CRUISING ALT, I MADE MY PA AND TURNED OFF THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN. AFTER ARR IN MIAMI, I BROUGHT THE INSPECTOR UP INTO THE FLT CREW CABIN AWAY FROM THE DEPLANING PAX TO DISCUSS HIS CONCERNS. I AGREED WITH HIM THAT THE CREW SHOULD DO THEIR BEST TO ENFORCE THE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN. I FELT LIKE OUR CREW HAD DONE THAT BY SPEAKING WITH THE PAX THAT WERE USING THE LAVATORIES AND ENSURING NO PAX WERE STANDING IN THE AISLES BY THEIR SEATS. I ALSO TOLD THE INSPECTOR THAT IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, THE CREW AND ANY FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS ONBOARD WOULD BE EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT A PAX THAT LEAVES THEIR SEAT IN THE BACK OF THE CABIN AND APCHS THE COCKPIT. I SUGGESTED TO THE INSPECTOR THAT IN THE FUTURE, HE MAY WANT TO RING HIS CALL BUTTON, IDENT HIMSELF TO THE CREW, AND ASK TO SPEAK TO THE PURSER. AT THAT POINT, THE INSPECTOR SAID 'I WANT TO SEE YOUR LICENSES.' AFTER WE EXCHANGED IDENT AND LICENSE INFO, THE INSPECTOR LEFT THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THE INSPECTOR HAS INITIATED ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST THE FLT ATTENDANTS INVOLVED. HE ALSO RPTED THAT ON A SUBSEQUENT FLT, HE DISCUSSED THE EVENT WITH 2 FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS, WHO SUPPORTED HIS CONCERNS REGARDING THAT INSPECTOR'S ACTIONS APCHING THE COCKPIT FROM THE AFT CABIN PRIOR TO IDENTING HIS OFFICIAL STATUS TO THE FLT CREW AS BEING SUSPICIOUS AND ACTIONABLE SECURITY ISSUES.

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.