Narrative:

While taking the ATP written examination, the private agency employee conducting the examination alleged that I had unauthorized written material in my possession for use in the examination, the presence of which was inadvertent and the use of which is categorically denied. I did not intend to, nor do I believe, that I violated any far's while taking the examination. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter said that he went to take the written test at a facility that gives it on a computer and issues a grade immediately. When he went in, his materials were checked, including his E-6B flight computer. The examiner made him take it out of the pouch it was in and he looked at the front side, but not the back. While the reporter was taking the test, he turned the computer over to discover that a folded piece of paper he had stuck in the computer's pouch was wedged in the back of the computer mechanism. He unfolded it to see what it was. It was a list of 'rules of thumb' and formulas that had been handed out in a ground school course that he had taken. He laid it aside in plain view. He said it had nothing on it that he considered to be of value to the test he was taking. Later the examiner asked him what the piece of paper was, and the reporter handed it to him. The examiner said it was unauthorized material and said that he would have to confiscate it. The reporter did not object, and he went on to finish his test. He did not pass the test. Reporter says that the piece of paper was not taken into the test intentionally, and that it was lodged in the mechanism on the back of the computer such that it was hidden from view until the computer was turned over. He said that the examiner never turned the computer over during his examination of it prior to the test. FAA is investigating and has proposed enforcement action against the reporter. Reporter points out that the far prohibits the use of unauthorized materials during written tests, not the mere possession of such materials. He says that he did not use the material, but simply set it aside when he discovered it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT TAKING ATP WRITTEN EXAM FROM A DESIGNATED EXAMINER FINDS UNAUTH MATERIAL STUCK IN HIS FLT COMPUTER AND IS ACCUSED OF CHEATING DURING THE TEST.

Narrative: WHILE TAKING THE ATP WRITTEN EXAMINATION, THE PRIVATE AGENCY EMPLOYEE CONDUCTING THE EXAM ALLEGED THAT I HAD UNAUTH WRITTEN MATERIAL IN MY POSSESSION FOR USE IN THE EXAM, THE PRESENCE OF WHICH WAS INADVERTENT AND THE USE OF WHICH IS CATEGORICALLY DENIED. I DID NOT INTEND TO, NOR DO I BELIEVE, THAT I VIOLATED ANY FAR'S WHILE TAKING THE EXAMINATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR SAID THAT HE WENT TO TAKE THE WRITTEN TEST AT A FAC THAT GIVES IT ON A COMPUTER AND ISSUES A GRADE IMMEDIATELY. WHEN HE WENT IN, HIS MATERIALS WERE CHKED, INCLUDING HIS E-6B FLT COMPUTER. THE EXAMINER MADE HIM TAKE IT OUT OF THE POUCH IT WAS IN AND HE LOOKED AT THE FRONT SIDE, BUT NOT THE BACK. WHILE THE RPTR WAS TAKING THE TEST, HE TURNED THE COMPUTER OVER TO DISCOVER THAT A FOLDED PIECE OF PAPER HE HAD STUCK IN THE COMPUTER'S POUCH WAS WEDGED IN THE BACK OF THE COMPUTER MECHANISM. HE UNFOLDED IT TO SEE WHAT IT WAS. IT WAS A LIST OF 'RULES OF THUMB' AND FORMULAS THAT HAD BEEN HANDED OUT IN A GND SCHOOL COURSE THAT HE HAD TAKEN. HE LAID IT ASIDE IN PLAIN VIEW. HE SAID IT HAD NOTHING ON IT THAT HE CONSIDERED TO BE OF VALUE TO THE TEST HE WAS TAKING. LATER THE EXAMINER ASKED HIM WHAT THE PIECE OF PAPER WAS, AND THE RPTR HANDED IT TO HIM. THE EXAMINER SAID IT WAS UNAUTH MATERIAL AND SAID THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO CONFISCATE IT. THE RPTR DID NOT OBJECT, AND HE WENT ON TO FINISH HIS TEST. HE DID NOT PASS THE TEST. RPTR SAYS THAT THE PIECE OF PAPER WAS NOT TAKEN INTO THE TEST INTENTIONALLY, AND THAT IT WAS LODGED IN THE MECHANISM ON THE BACK OF THE COMPUTER SUCH THAT IT WAS HIDDEN FROM VIEW UNTIL THE COMPUTER WAS TURNED OVER. HE SAID THAT THE EXAMINER NEVER TURNED THE COMPUTER OVER DURING HIS EXAMINATION OF IT PRIOR TO THE TEST. FAA IS INVESTIGATING AND HAS PROPOSED ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST THE RPTR. RPTR POINTS OUT THAT THE FAR PROHIBITS THE USE OF UNAUTH MATERIALS DURING WRITTEN TESTS, NOT THE MERE POSSESSION OF SUCH MATERIALS. HE SAYS THAT HE DID NOT USE THE MATERIAL, BUT SIMPLY SET IT ASIDE WHEN HE DISCOVERED IT.

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.