Narrative:

After an uneventful flight from hou to dfw, and parked at the gate, crew completed parking checklist, collected personal effects, and departed flight deck. With the F/a's still on board aircraft, flight crew left while passenger were still deplaning and did not close cockpit door. A man approached the #1 F/a and idented himself as FAA. He said the cockpit door should have been closed while passenger were on board and no one was in the cockpit. Contributing factors: long distance between inbound and outbnd gates (dfw gate 13 at terminal 2E to gate 42 at 3E), and relatively short time to make connection caused crew to rush off aircraft once parked. The congested area around the cabin door (forward galley, coat closet, forward lav and cockpit) make it inconvenient to close cockpit door while people are deplaning. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: local FAA office was queried and they did not know of any regulation requiring the cockpit door to be closed when flight crew are not in cockpit and passenger are aboard. FAA chief expressed opinion that the concerned inspector was out of line. Supplemental information from acn 161755: FAA asked first F/a why cockpit door left open (either by crew or maintenance). He was surly and indicated a fine was imminent. He did not produce any FAA identify until requested by F/a wanting to know who he was. Very unprofessional individual not representative of an FAA employee.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON SHORT TIME PERIOD TURNAROUND WITH WIDELY SEPARATED GATES, FLT CREW LEFT COCKPIT WHILE PASSENGERS WERE DEPLANING. PASSENGER THAT IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS AN FAA INSPECTOR DEMANDED TO KNOW FROM FA WHY COCKPIT DOOR WAS OPEN WITH PASSENGERS ON BOARD AND THREATENED VIOLATION PROCS.

Narrative: AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL FLT FROM HOU TO DFW, AND PARKED AT THE GATE, CREW COMPLETED PARKING CHKLIST, COLLECTED PERSONAL EFFECTS, AND DEPARTED FLT DECK. WITH THE F/A'S STILL ON BOARD ACFT, FLT CREW LEFT WHILE PAX WERE STILL DEPLANING AND DID NOT CLOSE COCKPIT DOOR. A MAN APCHED THE #1 F/A AND IDENTED HIMSELF AS FAA. HE SAID THE COCKPIT DOOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSED WHILE PAX WERE ON BOARD AND NO ONE WAS IN THE COCKPIT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LONG DISTANCE BTWN INBND AND OUTBND GATES (DFW GATE 13 AT TERMINAL 2E TO GATE 42 AT 3E), AND RELATIVELY SHORT TIME TO MAKE CONNECTION CAUSED CREW TO RUSH OFF ACFT ONCE PARKED. THE CONGESTED AREA AROUND THE CABIN DOOR (FORWARD GALLEY, COAT CLOSET, FORWARD LAV AND COCKPIT) MAKE IT INCONVENIENT TO CLOSE COCKPIT DOOR WHILE PEOPLE ARE DEPLANING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: LCL FAA OFFICE WAS QUERIED AND THEY DID NOT KNOW OF ANY REG REQUIRING THE COCKPIT DOOR TO BE CLOSED WHEN FLT CREW ARE NOT IN COCKPIT AND PAX ARE ABOARD. FAA CHIEF EXPRESSED OPINION THAT THE CONCERNED INSPECTOR WAS OUT OF LINE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 161755: FAA ASKED FIRST F/A WHY COCKPIT DOOR LEFT OPEN (EITHER BY CREW OR MAINT). HE WAS SURLY AND INDICATED A FINE WAS IMMINENT. HE DID NOT PRODUCE ANY FAA IDENT UNTIL REQUESTED BY F/A WANTING TO KNOW WHO HE WAS. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL INDIVIDUAL NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF AN FAA EMPLOYEE.

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.