Narrative:

Scheduled deadhead was late due to arrival WX. I was trying to get all preflight items completed and still achieve an on-time departure. The gate agent informed me that an FAA inspector was onboard and he had 'insisted' on boarding prior to the passenger. Boarding was now in progress. Upon arriving at the aircraft, I found the FAA inspector standing in forward galley. He followed the first officer and me into the flight deck. He was so close to me that I was having trouble stowing my bags. I started to ask him, nicely, if he would mind stepping out to the jetway while we finished stowing our bags. He interrupted me and stated he would not leave the flight deck, but would 'stay out of our way.' I did not pursue the matter further and continued with my preflight duties. In the course of those duties, I had to leave the flight deck several times. Each time the FAA inspector was in my way and/or the flight attendants' and passenger's way. Once in cruise, the second deadheading pilot (a pilot for our airline) asked the first officer and me if we had attended the fuel efficiency course. During the ensuing discussion, the FAA inspector made unsolicited and, in my opinion, inappropriate comments regarding, in his opinion, my airline's and its dispatchers' inability to make the proper decisions regarding contingency fuel. He also stated that he would, personally, never approve an exemption for the alternate rule at my airline. He implied that my airline's pilots and dispatchers did not have the proper tools, knowledge or experience to make the right decisions in this area. The rest of us did not respond to his statements. After arriving at the destination, the FAA inspector asked to speak with me privately. He proceeded to tell me he had not appreciated my request for space to do our jobs at the departure point, and that I had caused 'tension.' I replied that I thought I had asked him nicely and that I was unaware I was required to be his 'friend.' he then informed me he would be contacting my chief pilot and I would probably be 'having a conversation' with my chief pilot soon. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain contacted his chief pilot and told him what was going on with the inspector. The captain has not had an inspector this aggressive or this disruptive before. He thinks the FAA is not supervising the inspector properly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320. AN FAA INSPECTOR INSISTED ON SPECIAL BOARDING, GOT IN THE WAY OF THE FLT CREW, THE FLT ATTENDANTS, AND THE PAX, MADE INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS, AND CAUSED 'TENSION' WHEN HE THREATENED TO CONTACT THE CAPT'S CHIEF PLT.

Narrative: SCHEDULED DEADHEAD WAS LATE DUE TO ARR WX. I WAS TRYING TO GET ALL PREFLT ITEMS COMPLETED AND STILL ACHIEVE AN ON-TIME DEP. THE GATE AGENT INFORMED ME THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR WAS ONBOARD AND HE HAD 'INSISTED' ON BOARDING PRIOR TO THE PAX. BOARDING WAS NOW IN PROGRESS. UPON ARRIVING AT THE ACFT, I FOUND THE FAA INSPECTOR STANDING IN FORWARD GALLEY. HE FOLLOWED THE FO AND ME INTO THE FLT DECK. HE WAS SO CLOSE TO ME THAT I WAS HAVING TROUBLE STOWING MY BAGS. I STARTED TO ASK HIM, NICELY, IF HE WOULD MIND STEPPING OUT TO THE JETWAY WHILE WE FINISHED STOWING OUR BAGS. HE INTERRUPTED ME AND STATED HE WOULD NOT LEAVE THE FLT DECK, BUT WOULD 'STAY OUT OF OUR WAY.' I DID NOT PURSUE THE MATTER FURTHER AND CONTINUED WITH MY PREFLT DUTIES. IN THE COURSE OF THOSE DUTIES, I HAD TO LEAVE THE FLT DECK SEVERAL TIMES. EACH TIME THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS IN MY WAY AND/OR THE FLT ATTENDANTS' AND PAX'S WAY. ONCE IN CRUISE, THE SECOND DEADHEADING PLT (A PLT FOR OUR AIRLINE) ASKED THE FO AND ME IF WE HAD ATTENDED THE FUEL EFFICIENCY COURSE. DURING THE ENSUING DISCUSSION, THE FAA INSPECTOR MADE UNSOLICITED AND, IN MY OPINION, INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS REGARDING, IN HIS OPINION, MY AIRLINE'S AND ITS DISPATCHERS' INABILITY TO MAKE THE PROPER DECISIONS REGARDING CONTINGENCY FUEL. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE WOULD, PERSONALLY, NEVER APPROVE AN EXEMPTION FOR THE ALTERNATE RULE AT MY AIRLINE. HE IMPLIED THAT MY AIRLINE'S PLTS AND DISPATCHERS DID NOT HAVE THE PROPER TOOLS, KNOWLEDGE OR EXPERIENCE TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS IN THIS AREA. THE REST OF US DID NOT RESPOND TO HIS STATEMENTS. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE DEST, THE FAA INSPECTOR ASKED TO SPEAK WITH ME PRIVATELY. HE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME HE HAD NOT APPRECIATED MY REQUEST FOR SPACE TO DO OUR JOBS AT THE DEP POINT, AND THAT I HAD CAUSED 'TENSION.' I REPLIED THAT I THOUGHT I HAD ASKED HIM NICELY AND THAT I WAS UNAWARE I WAS REQUIRED TO BE HIS 'FRIEND.' HE THEN INFORMED ME HE WOULD BE CONTACTING MY CHIEF PLT AND I WOULD PROBABLY BE 'HAVING A CONVERSATION' WITH MY CHIEF PLT SOON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT CONTACTED HIS CHIEF PLT AND TOLD HIM WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE INSPECTOR. THE CAPT HAS NOT HAD AN INSPECTOR THIS AGGRESSIVE OR THIS DISRUPTIVE BEFORE. HE THINKS THE FAA IS NOT SUPERVISING THE INSPECTOR PROPERLY.

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.