Narrative:

FAA was performing a line check on my flight from hya-bos. The day got off to a rough start. I left my wallet in my hotel room and discovered that when the inspector asked me for my certificates. Previous crew left too much fuel on board and we were booked full with many bags. A senior check airman and other crewmembers were riding along and this added to the pressure of my first line check by the FAA. When taxiing out we had an inverter fluctuate in frequency. Since it didn't fail (red light and instrument flags) I selected the other inverter. This was a common quirk with this plane. While en route to bos the decimal point on the DME failed. (Instead of being 43.5 and 10 mins out of bos, it read 435, 10 mins.) bos told us to expect an ILS DME 27 approach. We requested ILS runway 22L. This involved a delay since we were vectored east of bos downwind. We were given a descent from 4000-2000', a quick turn from 040 to 280 degrees. When at 2700' a turn to 260 degrees. I knew we were close to the marker because the G/south came alive and passed through the center. We were 2 mi from marker, turned to 240 degrees to intercept the localizer, cleared to 1700' and cleared for the approach. We were pwred back and descending 1000 FPM in an unpressurized aircraft I was concerned with passenger comfort particularly since a senior check airman was on board. I did not descend onto the G/south until 1-2 mi out. After landing the FAA inspector complimented some of our performance, but criticized me for being above the G/south inside the OM. He said that violates the FARS. He is right. I allowed the pressures of an FAA inspector, company check airman, minor equipment problems, a poor vector and an ATC 'dump job' to interfere with my judgement. I thought I could catch the G/south and tried to avoid another 5 mins of revectoring if I refused the turn. Lesson: the aircraft should be flown by the book at all times and pressures should not allow me to accept a situation that can lead to inadvertent far violations, passenger discomfort and above all safety conflicts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER PIC FAILED TO FOLLOW SOP REMAINING ABOVE THE GLIDE SLOPE INSIDE THE OUTER MARKER. ACI ON A CHECK RIDE CRITICIZED THE FLT CREW FOR FEDERAL AVIATION VIOLATION.

Narrative: FAA WAS PERFORMING A LINE CHK ON MY FLT FROM HYA-BOS. THE DAY GOT OFF TO A ROUGH START. I LEFT MY WALLET IN MY HOTEL ROOM AND DISCOVERED THAT WHEN THE INSPECTOR ASKED ME FOR MY CERTIFICATES. PREVIOUS CREW LEFT TOO MUCH FUEL ON BOARD AND WE WERE BOOKED FULL WITH MANY BAGS. A SENIOR CHK AIRMAN AND OTHER CREWMEMBERS WERE RIDING ALONG AND THIS ADDED TO THE PRESSURE OF MY FIRST LINE CHK BY THE FAA. WHEN TAXIING OUT WE HAD AN INVERTER FLUCTUATE IN FREQ. SINCE IT DIDN'T FAIL (RED LIGHT AND INSTRUMENT FLAGS) I SELECTED THE OTHER INVERTER. THIS WAS A COMMON QUIRK WITH THIS PLANE. WHILE ENRTE TO BOS THE DECIMAL POINT ON THE DME FAILED. (INSTEAD OF BEING 43.5 AND 10 MINS OUT OF BOS, IT READ 435, 10 MINS.) BOS TOLD US TO EXPECT AN ILS DME 27 APCH. WE REQUESTED ILS RWY 22L. THIS INVOLVED A DELAY SINCE WE WERE VECTORED E OF BOS DOWNWIND. WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT FROM 4000-2000', A QUICK TURN FROM 040 TO 280 DEGS. WHEN AT 2700' A TURN TO 260 DEGS. I KNEW WE WERE CLOSE TO THE MARKER BECAUSE THE G/S CAME ALIVE AND PASSED THROUGH THE CENTER. WE WERE 2 MI FROM MARKER, TURNED TO 240 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC, CLRED TO 1700' AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. WE WERE PWRED BACK AND DSNDING 1000 FPM IN AN UNPRESSURIZED ACFT I WAS CONCERNED WITH PAX COMFORT PARTICULARLY SINCE A SENIOR CHK AIRMAN WAS ON BOARD. I DID NOT DSND ONTO THE G/S UNTIL 1-2 MI OUT. AFTER LNDG THE FAA INSPECTOR COMPLIMENTED SOME OF OUR PERFORMANCE, BUT CRITICIZED ME FOR BEING ABOVE THE G/S INSIDE THE OM. HE SAID THAT VIOLATES THE FARS. HE IS RIGHT. I ALLOWED THE PRESSURES OF AN FAA INSPECTOR, COMPANY CHK AIRMAN, MINOR EQUIP PROBS, A POOR VECTOR AND AN ATC 'DUMP JOB' TO INTERFERE WITH MY JUDGEMENT. I THOUGHT I COULD CATCH THE G/S AND TRIED TO AVOID ANOTHER 5 MINS OF REVECTORING IF I REFUSED THE TURN. LESSON: THE ACFT SHOULD BE FLOWN BY THE BOOK AT ALL TIMES AND PRESSURES SHOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO ACCEPT A SITUATION THAT CAN LEAD TO INADVERTENT FAR VIOLATIONS, PAX DISCOMFORT AND ABOVE ALL SAFETY CONFLICTS.

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.