Narrative:

As first flight attendant was handing a meal through the cockpit door she informed me that a passenger had given her a hard time about walking from coach class and using the forward lav. I closed the cockpit door and called her on the interphone to gather more information. The following is what I was told: a passenger had walked from coach to first and gone into the lav before she could stop them. As the passenger exited the lav, flight attendant #1 asked he please use the coach lav as he had been instructed in her PA as well as the captain's PA. The passenger just stared at her with what she felt was a menacing look for what seemed to be at least a minute. He then began to tell her that he had heard the PA and had chosen to disregard it. That he did not think it was a valid security procedure and that he intended to take the issue up with the air carrier since he was an FAA aviation safety inspector. I was concerned that this guy was impersonating an FAA inspector. I could not imagine that an aviation safety inspector would give my flight crew a hard time. However, flight attendant #1 said that he had given her his business card. I examined the card and it appeared to be valid. I asked that she have the inspector stop by the cockpit on his way out. I met with the passenger. He was unapologetic, said that he had never heard of our new security procedures and didn't think that it made sense. I could go on but the point is this, this gentleman thought he was exempt from complying with crewmember instructions. It is my hope that someone will inform him that he is required to comply. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter verified the FSDO inspector was not conducting any type of formal inspection. After confronted by the flight attendant. The inspector reportedly 'flashed his badge' and became very confrontational, prompting the flight attendant to call the captain. The reporter indicated that his thought was 'who is this guy, of all people, why would an FAA FSDO inspector act in this manner?' a distraction that was very unwelcome. The reporter said discussions with the inspector revealed that he was a retired (same company) airline captain, which could explain his demeanor, treating a flight attendant as a subordinate and suggesting he was exempt from the crew member's instructions. The reporter indicated the flight attendant became very upset over the inspector's behavior.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 PAX, AN FAA AVIATION INSPECTOR, DISREGARDED FLT CREW'S FRONT LAV RESTRICTION INSTRUCTIONS, SUGGESTING THE NEW SECURITY MEASURE DIDN'T MAKE SENSE.

Narrative: AS FIRST FLT ATTENDANT WAS HANDING A MEAL THROUGH THE COCKPIT DOOR SHE INFORMED ME THAT A PAX HAD GIVEN HER A HARD TIME ABOUT WALKING FROM COACH CLASS AND USING THE FORWARD LAV. I CLOSED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND CALLED HER ON THE INTERPHONE TO GATHER MORE INFO. THE FOLLOWING IS WHAT I WAS TOLD: A PAX HAD WALKED FROM COACH TO FIRST AND GONE INTO THE LAV BEFORE SHE COULD STOP THEM. AS THE PAX EXITED THE LAV, FLT ATTENDANT #1 ASKED HE PLEASE USE THE COACH LAV AS HE HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED IN HER PA AS WELL AS THE CAPT'S PA. THE PAX JUST STARED AT HER WITH WHAT SHE FELT WAS A MENACING LOOK FOR WHAT SEEMED TO BE AT LEAST A MINUTE. HE THEN BEGAN TO TELL HER THAT HE HAD HEARD THE PA AND HAD CHOSEN TO DISREGARD IT. THAT HE DID NOT THINK IT WAS A VALID SECURITY PROC AND THAT HE INTENDED TO TAKE THE ISSUE UP WITH THE ACR SINCE HE WAS AN FAA AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THIS GUY WAS IMPERSONATING AN FAA INSPECTOR. I COULD NOT IMAGINE THAT AN AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR WOULD GIVE MY FLT CREW A HARD TIME. HOWEVER, FLT ATTENDANT #1 SAID THAT HE HAD GIVEN HER HIS BUSINESS CARD. I EXAMINED THE CARD AND IT APPEARED TO BE VALID. I ASKED THAT SHE HAVE THE INSPECTOR STOP BY THE COCKPIT ON HIS WAY OUT. I MET WITH THE PAX. HE WAS UNAPOLOGETIC, SAID THAT HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF OUR NEW SECURITY PROCS AND DIDN'T THINK THAT IT MADE SENSE. I COULD GO ON BUT THE POINT IS THIS, THIS GENTLEMAN THOUGHT HE WAS EXEMPT FROM COMPLYING WITH CREWMEMBER INSTRUCTIONS. IT IS MY HOPE THAT SOMEONE WILL INFORM HIM THAT HE IS REQUIRED TO COMPLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR VERIFIED THE FSDO INSPECTOR WAS NOT CONDUCTING ANY TYPE OF FORMAL INSPECTION. AFTER CONFRONTED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT. THE INSPECTOR REPORTEDLY 'FLASHED HIS BADGE' AND BECAME VERY CONFRONTATIONAL, PROMPTING THE FLT ATTENDANT TO CALL THE CAPT. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT HIS THOUGHT WAS 'WHO IS THIS GUY, OF ALL PEOPLE, WHY WOULD AN FAA FSDO INSPECTOR ACT IN THIS MANNER?' A DISTRACTION THAT WAS VERY UNWELCOME. THE RPTR SAID DISCUSSIONS WITH THE INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT HE WAS A RETIRED (SAME COMPANY) AIRLINE CAPT, WHICH COULD EXPLAIN HIS DEMEANOR, TREATING A FLT ATTENDANT AS A SUBORDINATE AND SUGGESTING HE WAS EXEMPT FROM THE CREW MEMBER'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE RPTR INDICATED THE FLT ATTENDANT BECAME VERY UPSET OVER THE INSPECTOR'S BEHAVIOR.

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.