Narrative:

Upon arrival at the aircraft from getting my flight paperwork in operations, immediately after sitting down in my seat, mr X presented me his credentials and informed me he was doing a ramp check and wanted to see the aircraft logbook. I immediately handed him the logbook and clearly annunciated that I haven't had a chance to review it. As I started my preflight, mr X handed me the logbook back and referred me to page bb, where an entry was made the previous day, 10/mon/2004, for a bird strike, and the sign off did not have the contract mechanic's license number. Mr X asked me if I thought the aircraft was airworthy, I said no and that I would call the maintenance control. Ms Y was excellent in walking me through the procedures in filling our logbook page bb correcting the error on page cc and re-instating the aircraft's airworthiness. Mr X then continued to query me and the first officer in a very probing manner whether we felt that the sign off re-instated the airworthiness of the aircraft. He then proceeded to close the aircraft door and conduct a conversation as to why we did not catch this error had he not brought it to our attention. I reminded mr X that I was not afforded the opportunity to look at the logbook first and that it was unfair to hold my certificate on the line for an error I was not responsible for. He then stated that he assumed that since the first officer and I were seated when he entered the cockpit that our preflight was complete. Since he was unsure of the aircraft's airworthiness, I called ms Y back and told her of mr X's concerns. She stated very clearly that this was done in accordance with the maintenance procedures. I relayed this to mr X and stated that I felt the aircraft was airworthy and legal for dispatch. Seeing that he was unconvinced I escorted mr X to operations and made copies of the applicable logbook pages. Flight left 20 mins late because of mr X's unfamiliarity with our procedures. The first officer and myself felt that mr X created an uncomfortable atmosphere with his wrong assumptions and the manner in which he conducted the ramp inspection. Creating this type of atmosphere prior to pushback does not contribute to the safe conduct of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-900. AN FAA INSPECTOR CONDUCTING A RAMP CHECK DELAYED THE ACFT DEP, INTERFERED WITH CREW DUTIES, AND APPEARED NOT TO KNOW THE ACR PROCS.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT THE ACFT FROM GETTING MY FLT PAPERWORK IN OPS, IMMEDIATELY AFTER SITTING DOWN IN MY SEAT, MR X PRESENTED ME HIS CREDENTIALS AND INFORMED ME HE WAS DOING A RAMP CHECK AND WANTED TO SEE THE ACFT LOGBOOK. I IMMEDIATELY HANDED HIM THE LOGBOOK AND CLEARLY ANNUNCIATED THAT I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT. AS I STARTED MY PREFLT, MR X HANDED ME THE LOGBOOK BACK AND REFERRED ME TO PAGE BB, WHERE AN ENTRY WAS MADE THE PREVIOUS DAY, 10/MON/2004, FOR A BIRD STRIKE, AND THE SIGN OFF DID NOT HAVE THE CONTRACT MECHANIC'S LICENSE NUMBER. MR X ASKED ME IF I THOUGHT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY, I SAID NO AND THAT I WOULD CALL THE MAINT CTL. MS Y WAS EXCELLENT IN WALKING ME THROUGH THE PROCEDURES IN FILLING OUR LOGBOOK PAGE BB CORRECTING THE ERROR ON PAGE CC AND RE-INSTATING THE ACFT'S AIRWORTHINESS. MR X THEN CONTINUED TO QUERY ME AND THE FIRST OFFICER IN A VERY PROBING MANNER WHETHER WE FELT THAT THE SIGN OFF RE-INSTATED THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO CLOSE THE ACFT DOOR AND CONDUCT A CONVERSATION AS TO WHY WE DID NOT CATCH THIS ERROR HAD HE NOT BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION. I REMINDED MR X THAT I WAS NOT AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE LOGBOOK FIRST AND THAT IT WAS UNFAIR TO HOLD MY CERTIFICATE ON THE LINE FOR AN ERROR I WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR. HE THEN STATED THAT HE ASSUMED THAT SINCE THE FO AND I WERE SEATED WHEN HE ENTERED THE COCKPIT THAT OUR PREFLT WAS COMPLETE. SINCE HE WAS UNSURE OF THE ACFT'S AIRWORTHINESS, I CALLED MS Y BACK AND TOLD HER OF MR X'S CONCERNS. SHE STATED VERY CLEARLY THAT THIS WAS DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MAINT PROCS. I RELAYED THIS TO MR X AND STATED THAT I FELT THE ACFT WAS AIRWORTHY AND LEGAL FOR DISPATCH. SEEING THAT HE WAS UNCONVINCED I ESCORTED MR X TO OPS AND MADE COPIES OF THE APPLICABLE LOGBOOK PAGES. FLT LEFT 20 MINS LATE BECAUSE OF MR X'S UNFAMILIARITY WITH OUR PROCS. THE FO AND MYSELF FELT THAT MR X CREATED AN UNCOMFORTABLE ATMOSPHERE WITH HIS WRONG ASSUMPTIONS AND THE MANNER IN WHICH HE CONDUCTED THE RAMP INSPECTION. CREATING THIS TYPE OF ATMOSPHERE PRIOR TO PUSHBACK DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TO THE SAFE CONDUCT OF FLT.

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.