Narrative:

During a routine en route inspection, the FAA air carrier inspector asked me if the aircraft was 'right wing heavy'. I looked at the horizon, the wings were level. The ball was centered and the trim was one-half degree right on the rudder. Aileron trim was zero. The control column was slightly off-set to the right which I am sure is what prompted the FAA man's comment. The aircraft appeared to be in trim and was tracking straight ahead so I answered the question by telling him that the ship was 25 yrs old and had been through a lot and that the slight off-set he noted was about PAR for the fleet, some being better, some worse. At the conclusion of the flight he questioned the first officer about (who had flown the leg) it and he told the FAA man that nothing seemed out of sort to him either reiterating what I had told him. The FAA man proceeded to tell us that age has no difference. That airworthiness is a current affair that's on-going. I told him I felt my company maintained all aircraft in an airworthiness state and that what he saw was not unusual all things considered. He then went on to say that he's hearing this explanation all too often from both pilots and airline management alike and that the intent of 'airworthiness' is oftentimes misunderstood and misapplied. I could see that no matter what I said, it would do no further good and I then tried to ease the situation by saying that my remark about '...25 yrs old' was not meant in a disrespectful manner and that I agreed with him wholeheartedly about 'airworthiness' and that I had done air safety work with alpa and practiced what I preached. He made no further mention of it as we walked to operations, but as we were leaving the station I noticed him looking at our pushback from the terminal window. At that moment I got distinct impression that he wasn't finished with his pursuit of this matter and he was watching to see if we were going to continue flight(south). I saw no need to make written notice of the control wheel displacement in the aircraft maintenance log. On the next leg of the trip I paid particular attention to the displacement and in cruise flight saw 4 degrees with no trim, negligible in my estimation. As an additional note, another (different) FAA inspector went with us on the following leg and made no mention of the previous inspector's conversation. In fact his comments at flight's end were very complimentary. This report is written to cover what might happen in light of the comments made. Keep up the good work ASRS!

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING FAA INFLT INSPECTION, INSPECTOR TOOK EXCEPTION TO CAPT'S STATEMENT THAT ACFT TRIM SETTING WAS NORMAL FOR AN AGING FLEET.

Narrative: DURING A ROUTINE ENRTE INSPECTION, THE FAA AIR CARRIER INSPECTOR ASKED ME IF THE ACFT WAS 'RIGHT WING HEAVY'. I LOOKED AT THE HORIZON, THE WINGS WERE LEVEL. THE BALL WAS CENTERED AND THE TRIM WAS ONE-HALF DEG RIGHT ON THE RUDDER. AILERON TRIM WAS ZERO. THE CONTROL COLUMN WAS SLIGHTLY OFF-SET TO THE RIGHT WHICH I AM SURE IS WHAT PROMPTED THE FAA MAN'S COMMENT. THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE IN TRIM AND WAS TRACKING STRAIGHT AHEAD SO I ANSWERED THE QUESTION BY TELLING HIM THAT THE SHIP WAS 25 YRS OLD AND HAD BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND THAT THE SLIGHT OFF-SET HE NOTED WAS ABOUT PAR FOR THE FLEET, SOME BEING BETTER, SOME WORSE. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FLT HE QUESTIONED THE F/O ABOUT (WHO HAD FLOWN THE LEG) IT AND HE TOLD THE FAA MAN THAT NOTHING SEEMED OUT OF SORT TO HIM EITHER REITERATING WHAT I HAD TOLD HIM. THE FAA MAN PROCEEDED TO TELL US THAT AGE HAS NO DIFFERENCE. THAT AIRWORTHINESS IS A CURRENT AFFAIR THAT'S ON-GOING. I TOLD HIM I FELT MY COMPANY MAINTAINED ALL ACFT IN AN AIRWORTHINESS STATE AND THAT WHAT HE SAW WAS NOT UNUSUAL ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. HE THEN WENT ON TO SAY THAT HE'S HEARING THIS EXPLANATION ALL TOO OFTEN FROM BOTH PLTS AND AIRLINE MGMNT ALIKE AND THAT THE INTENT OF 'AIRWORTHINESS' IS OFTENTIMES MISUNDERSTOOD AND MISAPPLIED. I COULD SEE THAT NO MATTER WHAT I SAID, IT WOULD DO NO FURTHER GOOD AND I THEN TRIED TO EASE THE SITUATION BY SAYING THAT MY REMARK ABOUT '...25 YRS OLD' WAS NOT MEANT IN A DISRESPECTFUL MANNER AND THAT I AGREED WITH HIM WHOLEHEARTEDLY ABOUT 'AIRWORTHINESS' AND THAT I HAD DONE AIR SAFETY WORK WITH ALPA AND PRACTICED WHAT I PREACHED. HE MADE NO FURTHER MENTION OF IT AS WE WALKED TO OPERATIONS, BUT AS WE WERE LEAVING THE STATION I NOTICED HIM LOOKING AT OUR PUSHBACK FROM THE TERMINAL WINDOW. AT THAT MOMENT I GOT DISTINCT IMPRESSION THAT HE WASN'T FINISHED WITH HIS PURSUIT OF THIS MATTER AND HE WAS WATCHING TO SEE IF WE WERE GOING TO CONTINUE FLT(S). I SAW NO NEED TO MAKE WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE CONTROL WHEEL DISPLACEMENT IN THE ACFT MAINT LOG. ON THE NEXT LEG OF THE TRIP I PAID PARTICULAR ATTN TO THE DISPLACEMENT AND IN CRUISE FLT SAW 4 DEGREES WITH NO TRIM, NEGLIGIBLE IN MY ESTIMATION. AS AN ADDITIONAL NOTE, ANOTHER (DIFFERENT) FAA INSPECTOR WENT WITH US ON THE FOLLOWING LEG AND MADE NO MENTION OF THE PREVIOUS INSPECTOR'S CONVERSATION. IN FACT HIS COMMENTS AT FLT'S END WERE VERY COMPLIMENTARY. THIS REPORT IS WRITTEN TO COVER WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN LIGHT OF THE COMMENTS MADE. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK ASRS!

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.