Narrative:

I was beginning my final leg of a 3 day trip of IOE, while the FAA inspector who was to observe/check me was standing just outside the aircraft in the jetway. I went on aircraft and saw 3 inbound flight attendants on board (one having already left) while 3 through passenger sat in first class. They asked if I had seen my flight attendants and I said not yet. I later found out that perhaps, when they found out the FAA would be on board, they were updating their manuals. Another inbound flight attendant left the aircraft and went away. The 2 remaining were deciding who would stay. For about 30 seconds, both went outside the aircraft just inside the jetway, near the FAA inspector. They did not know about him. Just as one flight attendant left, the one flight attendant remaining was coming back on the airplane to remain with the through passenger. As she walked past the FAA guy, he said she violated FARS and company policy by not being on the aircraft with passenger. She said she was, but he said she was technically off the aircraft. The whole while this was going on, I just accidentally met the inbound flight attendants as I was early to do my things. I put my bags in the cockpit and talked with one of the passenger, not noticing much, what was transpiring. My check airman captain was still in the terminal. Just after all this happened, I went out to the jetway to meet the FAA inspector. He immediately told me what had transpired and said it was a violation. En route, everything went well, but he advised the check airman and myself to file an as soon as possible. Technically, the FAA guy is 100% correct. But, this probably happens every day in this fashion. The flight attendants should have sorted out who would remain on board the aircraft. The last flight attendant was off the aircraft for only 30 seconds with maintenance, cleaners and whoever else coming and going, adding to the situation. Shortly after all of this, our working flight attendants arrived and the inbound flight attendant left. Supplemental information from acn 603750: upon reaching aircraft with FAA inspector from dfw, he noticed all of the flight attendants on the jetbridge with through passenger still on aircraft. He informed them that one must be on the aircraft, not on the jetbridge. One moved towards the door but did not get on. He then informed them again and one stood on the aircraft until departing flight attendant arrived to relieve of duties. Captain getting FAA check ride was on the aircraft also. FAA inspector suggested we submit as soon as possible as he would be following up on this situation. I was not a part of any of these discussions and this was all reported to me by the FAA inspector and other captain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CAPT RPTED THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR OBSERVED THE INBOUND CABIN CREW, WHO HAD NOT YET HANDED OFF THE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE 'THROUGH' PAX TO THE OUTBOUND CREW, WERE IN VIOLATION OF THE FARS WHILE STANDING ON THE JETBRIDGE RATHER THAN WAITING ON THE ACFT ITSELF.

Narrative: I WAS BEGINNING MY FINAL LEG OF A 3 DAY TRIP OF IOE, WHILE THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS TO OBSERVE/CHK ME WAS STANDING JUST OUTSIDE THE ACFT IN THE JETWAY. I WENT ON ACFT AND SAW 3 INBOUND FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD (ONE HAVING ALREADY LEFT) WHILE 3 THROUGH PAX SAT IN FIRST CLASS. THEY ASKED IF I HAD SEEN MY FLT ATTENDANTS AND I SAID NOT YET. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT PERHAPS, WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THE FAA WOULD BE ON BOARD, THEY WERE UPDATING THEIR MANUALS. ANOTHER INBOUND FLT ATTENDANT LEFT THE ACFT AND WENT AWAY. THE 2 REMAINING WERE DECIDING WHO WOULD STAY. FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS, BOTH WENT OUTSIDE THE ACFT JUST INSIDE THE JETWAY, NEAR THE FAA INSPECTOR. THEY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT HIM. JUST AS ONE FLT ATTENDANT LEFT, THE ONE FLT ATTENDANT REMAINING WAS COMING BACK ON THE AIRPLANE TO REMAIN WITH THE THROUGH PAX. AS SHE WALKED PAST THE FAA GUY, HE SAID SHE VIOLATED FARS AND COMPANY POLICY BY NOT BEING ON THE ACFT WITH PAX. SHE SAID SHE WAS, BUT HE SAID SHE WAS TECHNICALLY OFF THE ACFT. THE WHOLE WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON, I JUST ACCIDENTALLY MET THE INBOUND FLT ATTENDANTS AS I WAS EARLY TO DO MY THINGS. I PUT MY BAGS IN THE COCKPIT AND TALKED WITH ONE OF THE PAX, NOT NOTICING MUCH, WHAT WAS TRANSPIRING. MY CHK AIRMAN CAPT WAS STILL IN THE TERMINAL. JUST AFTER ALL THIS HAPPENED, I WENT OUT TO THE JETWAY TO MEET THE FAA INSPECTOR. HE IMMEDIATELY TOLD ME WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED AND SAID IT WAS A VIOLATION. ENRTE, EVERYTHING WENT WELL, BUT HE ADVISED THE CHK AIRMAN AND MYSELF TO FILE AN ASAP. TECHNICALLY, THE FAA GUY IS 100% CORRECT. BUT, THIS PROBABLY HAPPENS EVERY DAY IN THIS FASHION. THE FLT ATTENDANTS SHOULD HAVE SORTED OUT WHO WOULD REMAIN ON BOARD THE ACFT. THE LAST FLT ATTENDANT WAS OFF THE ACFT FOR ONLY 30 SECONDS WITH MAINT, CLEANERS AND WHOEVER ELSE COMING AND GOING, ADDING TO THE SIT. SHORTLY AFTER ALL OF THIS, OUR WORKING FLT ATTENDANTS ARRIVED AND THE INBOUND FLT ATTENDANT LEFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 603750: UPON REACHING ACFT WITH FAA INSPECTOR FROM DFW, HE NOTICED ALL OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS ON THE JETBRIDGE WITH THROUGH PAX STILL ON ACFT. HE INFORMED THEM THAT ONE MUST BE ON THE ACFT, NOT ON THE JETBRIDGE. ONE MOVED TOWARDS THE DOOR BUT DID NOT GET ON. HE THEN INFORMED THEM AGAIN AND ONE STOOD ON THE ACFT UNTIL DEPARTING FLT ATTENDANT ARRIVED TO RELIEVE OF DUTIES. CAPT GETTING FAA CHK RIDE WAS ON THE ACFT ALSO. FAA INSPECTOR SUGGESTED WE SUBMIT ASAP AS HE WOULD BE FOLLOWING UP ON THIS SIT. I WAS NOT A PART OF ANY OF THESE DISCUSSIONS AND THIS WAS ALL RPTED TO ME BY THE FAA INSPECTOR AND OTHER CAPT.

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.