Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff from anc the first officer, who was flying, noticed his altimeter sticking, then jumping and lagging behind the captain's altimeter. After placing his fingers on the altimeter, he asked the second officer to check the altimeter vibrator C/B. The second officer checked, said it was popped, and upon request reset it. The first officer's altimeter caught up to the captain's and continued to function normally. Now this is hardly an earth-shaking and not an unsafe happening, except for the person who tried to make it so, aci, a so-called aviation safety inspector from anc. After arrival in sea, aci spent 10 mins accusing: 1) the first officer of failure to preflight the altimeter, 2) the second officer of improper preflight of the C/B panels, and 3) me, the captain, because I'm responsible for it all. We emphatically told aci that a proper preflight had been done and that no discrepancies had been found. The second officer did do a proper check of the C/B panels. The first officer did do a proper preflight of his instruments. He and I crosschecked our instrument readings. There were no discrepancies. Obviously sometime between engine start and takeoff the altimeter vibrator C/B popped. Consider this: 1) aci did not enter my cockpit at the beginning of our preflight, but in the middle of it. 2) aci 'aviation safety inspector' is not qualified in the large transport. His credentials read 'operations specialist, situation monitor staff.' 3) even after he had read and studied our flight handbook, we had to explain to him what had happened and how it must have happened. I don't mind giving members of the FAA a free ride, but when one calls himself an aviation safety inspector and he has to get directions to reach the cockpit, I draw the line. This person was trying his damndest to stick us with a violation. I fully expect a letter from the anchorage office. This sort of ignorant harassment must stop. Pilots cannot do their job safely with such people looking over their shoulders.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACI THREATENS FLT CREW WITH ACTION WHEN HE REPORTS THEY MADE TKOF WITH ALTIMETER VIBRATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER OUT.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF FROM ANC THE F/O, WHO WAS FLYING, NOTICED HIS ALTIMETER STICKING, THEN JUMPING AND LAGGING BEHIND THE CAPT'S ALTIMETER. AFTER PLACING HIS FINGERS ON THE ALTIMETER, HE ASKED THE S/O TO CHK THE ALTIMETER VIBRATOR C/B. THE S/O CHKED, SAID IT WAS POPPED, AND UPON REQUEST RESET IT. THE F/O'S ALTIMETER CAUGHT UP TO THE CAPT'S AND CONTINUED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. NOW THIS IS HARDLY AN EARTH-SHAKING AND NOT AN UNSAFE HAPPENING, EXCEPT FOR THE PERSON WHO TRIED TO MAKE IT SO, ACI, A SO-CALLED AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR FROM ANC. AFTER ARR IN SEA, ACI SPENT 10 MINS ACCUSING: 1) THE F/O OF FAILURE TO PREFLT THE ALTIMETER, 2) THE S/O OF IMPROPER PREFLT OF THE C/B PANELS, AND 3) ME, THE CAPT, BECAUSE I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR IT ALL. WE EMPHATICALLY TOLD ACI THAT A PROPER PREFLT HAD BEEN DONE AND THAT NO DISCREPANCIES HAD BEEN FOUND. THE S/O DID DO A PROPER CHK OF THE C/B PANELS. THE F/O DID DO A PROPER PREFLT OF HIS INSTRUMENTS. HE AND I XCHKED OUR INSTRUMENT READINGS. THERE WERE NO DISCREPANCIES. OBVIOUSLY SOMETIME BTWN ENG START AND TKOF THE ALTIMETER VIBRATOR C/B POPPED. CONSIDER THIS: 1) ACI DID NOT ENTER MY COCKPIT AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR PREFLT, BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. 2) ACI 'AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR' IS NOT QUALIFIED IN THE LGT. HIS CREDENTIALS READ 'OPS SPECIALIST, SITUATION MONITOR STAFF.' 3) EVEN AFTER HE HAD READ AND STUDIED OUR FLT HANDBOOK, WE HAD TO EXPLAIN TO HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HOW IT MUST HAVE HAPPENED. I DON'T MIND GIVING MEMBERS OF THE FAA A FREE RIDE, BUT WHEN ONE CALLS HIMSELF AN AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR AND HE HAS TO GET DIRECTIONS TO REACH THE COCKPIT, I DRAW THE LINE. THIS PERSON WAS TRYING HIS DAMNDEST TO STICK US WITH A VIOLATION. I FULLY EXPECT A LETTER FROM THE ANCHORAGE OFFICE. THIS SORT OF IGNORANT HARASSMENT MUST STOP. PLTS CANNOT DO THEIR JOB SAFELY WITH SUCH PEOPLE LOOKING OVER THEIR SHOULDERS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.