Narrative:

We were being given a line check by FAA inspector, an avionics safety inspector. She was seated directly behind the captain on the observer's jumpseat. During pushback, the inspector was coughing and sneezing with alarming frequency. When questioned about this, she said she had 'a really bad cold' that she had caught from relatives. Although I was concerned about continuing on with an obviously sick person on the jumpseat, I said nothing further as I did not want to cause any delay to resolve the situation. The flight duration was 1 hour 53 mins and continued without further incident. Within 10 days of being exposed to this person's illness, I developed a severe cold with complications (bronchitis), lost 12 days of work due to sick-leave, etc, and infected the rest of my family. After over 2 months under a doctor's care, including a month on antibiotics, I finally recovered. I do not know what the FAA's policy is regarding sick leave, but I feel very strongly that this inspector should not have conducted the inspection while being so obviously ill. Considering the fact the FAA inspectors are to be allowed unrestr access to the flight deck, the inspector has a responsibility to not exercise this privilege when they are not physically well. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he had filed a report with the company. Analyst advised the reporter to call the FAA hot line with his information and questions. Company suggested that he could have called the duty officer and have him explain the situation about cockpit conditions, time allowing. Problem was that the inspector arrived at the aircraft just mins prior to the door closing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 PIC RPT ON BEING INFECTED WITH A BRONCHIAL CONDITION BY AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS CHKING THE CREW.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING GIVEN A LINE CHK BY FAA INSPECTOR, AN AVIONICS SAFETY INSPECTOR. SHE WAS SEATED DIRECTLY BEHIND THE CAPT ON THE OBSERVER'S JUMPSEAT. DURING PUSHBACK, THE INSPECTOR WAS COUGHING AND SNEEZING WITH ALARMING FREQ. WHEN QUESTIONED ABOUT THIS, SHE SAID SHE HAD 'A REALLY BAD COLD' THAT SHE HAD CAUGHT FROM RELATIVES. ALTHOUGH I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT CONTINUING ON WITH AN OBVIOUSLY SICK PERSON ON THE JUMPSEAT, I SAID NOTHING FURTHER AS I DID NOT WANT TO CAUSE ANY DELAY TO RESOLVE THE SIT. THE FLT DURATION WAS 1 HR 53 MINS AND CONTINUED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WITHIN 10 DAYS OF BEING EXPOSED TO THIS PERSON'S ILLNESS, I DEVELOPED A SEVERE COLD WITH COMPLICATIONS (BRONCHITIS), LOST 12 DAYS OF WORK DUE TO SICK-LEAVE, ETC, AND INFECTED THE REST OF MY FAMILY. AFTER OVER 2 MONTHS UNDER A DOCTOR'S CARE, INCLUDING A MONTH ON ANTIBIOTICS, I FINALLY RECOVERED. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE FAA'S POLICY IS REGARDING SICK LEAVE, BUT I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THIS INSPECTOR SHOULD NOT HAVE CONDUCTED THE INSPECTION WHILE BEING SO OBVIOUSLY ILL. CONSIDERING THE FACT THE FAA INSPECTORS ARE TO BE ALLOWED UNRESTR ACCESS TO THE FLT DECK, THE INSPECTOR HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT EXERCISE THIS PRIVILEGE WHEN THEY ARE NOT PHYSICALLY WELL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD FILED A RPT WITH THE COMPANY. ANALYST ADVISED THE RPTR TO CALL THE FAA HOT LINE WITH HIS INFO AND QUESTIONS. COMPANY SUGGESTED THAT HE COULD HAVE CALLED THE DUTY OFFICER AND HAVE HIM EXPLAIN THE SIT ABOUT COCKPIT CONDITIONS, TIME ALLOWING. PROB WAS THAT THE INSPECTOR ARRIVED AT THE ACFT JUST MINS PRIOR TO THE DOOR CLOSING.

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.