Narrative:

At cruise altitude, with 7 passenger on board, captain left cockpit for a brief period. On his return, he mentioned, as he was sitting down, that he had invited some passenger up to the cockpit for an in-flight tour. I responded incredulously. Within seconds the first 2 passenger appeared and the captain began giving them a tour. I did what I considered to be appropriate under the circumstances. I navigated the aircraft, did my job, and ignored the presence of the visitors. After all the passenger had left, I told the captain that I was very uncomfortable with what had transpired and, while, with 7 passenger on board, it may not have been unsafe to do what he did, that I thought it to be a lapse of good judgement and something that I never would consider doing. The captain is an extremely outgoing and personable individual and there was no tension or upset in his receiving my feedback. Next, I needed to decide if any further action on my part was required as a professional. I decided not for a number of reasons. The situation we found ourselves in was unique, and therefore, hopefully a one-time lapse of judgement. 1) it was the last leg of flight this captain would fly with his long time company call sign before the company call sign changed at midnight to the merged company name. Coincidental with that was that this flight had only 7 passenger on board. I suspect the captain was providing a goodbye party for the old company name. 2) later during this 4 day trip, we had a leg with only 6 passenger onboard and the captain made no move to repeat what had previously occurred. 3) this was this captain's last trip on this aircraft type. He will upgrade to larger equipment, so that opportunity to have only a handful of passenger on board of any leg is greatly diminished. 4) I hope that my discussion and feedback had some impact on his future decisions and actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC OF ACR ALLOWS PASSENGERS INTO COCKPIT INFLT FOR A PUBLIC RELATIONS TOUR.

Narrative: AT CRUISE ALT, WITH 7 PAX ON BOARD, CAPT LEFT COCKPIT FOR A BRIEF PERIOD. ON HIS RETURN, HE MENTIONED, AS HE WAS SITTING DOWN, THAT HE HAD INVITED SOME PAX UP TO THE COCKPIT FOR AN INFLT TOUR. I RESPONDED INCREDULOUSLY. WITHIN SECONDS THE FIRST 2 PAX APPEARED AND THE CAPT BEGAN GIVING THEM A TOUR. I DID WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE APPROPRIATE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. I NAVIGATED THE ACFT, DID MY JOB, AND IGNORED THE PRESENCE OF THE VISITORS. AFTER ALL THE PAX HAD LEFT, I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED AND, WHILE, WITH 7 PAX ON BOARD, IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN UNSAFE TO DO WHAT HE DID, THAT I THOUGHT IT TO BE A LAPSE OF GOOD JUDGEMENT AND SOMETHING THAT I NEVER WOULD CONSIDER DOING. THE CAPT IS AN EXTREMELY OUTGOING AND PERSONABLE INDIVIDUAL AND THERE WAS NO TENSION OR UPSET IN HIS RECEIVING MY FEEDBACK. NEXT, I NEEDED TO DECIDE IF ANY FURTHER ACTION ON MY PART WAS REQUIRED AS A PROFESSIONAL. I DECIDED NOT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. THE SITUATION WE FOUND OURSELVES IN WAS UNIQUE, AND THEREFORE, HOPEFULLY A ONE-TIME LAPSE OF JUDGEMENT. 1) IT WAS THE LAST LEG OF FLT THIS CAPT WOULD FLY WITH HIS LONG TIME COMPANY CALL SIGN BEFORE THE COMPANY CALL SIGN CHANGED AT MIDNIGHT TO THE MERGED COMPANY NAME. COINCIDENTAL WITH THAT WAS THAT THIS FLT HAD ONLY 7 PAX ON BOARD. I SUSPECT THE CAPT WAS PROVIDING A GOODBYE PARTY FOR THE OLD COMPANY NAME. 2) LATER DURING THIS 4 DAY TRIP, WE HAD A LEG WITH ONLY 6 PAX ONBOARD AND THE CAPT MADE NO MOVE TO REPEAT WHAT HAD PREVIOUSLY OCCURRED. 3) THIS WAS THIS CAPT'S LAST TRIP ON THIS ACFT TYPE. HE WILL UPGRADE TO LARGER EQUIPMENT, SO THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE ONLY A HANDFUL OF PAX ON BOARD OF ANY LEG IS GREATLY DIMINISHED. 4) I HOPE THAT MY DISCUSSION AND FEEDBACK HAD SOME IMPACT ON HIS FUTURE DECISIONS AND ACTIONS.

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.