Narrative:

Phx to mci with FAA inspector on jump seat. After landing, first officer and inspector comment on first officer's radar altimeter which at approximately 100 ft went full scale, then 0 with off flag. On arrival at the gate, I got involved in the discussion and I pulled and reset the circuit breaker which removed the flag. The FAA man was deplaning when the flag returned. The first officer suggested it might be caused by the provisioning vehicle which had just arrived. After the large tugs, lav carts, etc, left we recycled the breaker and the flag disappeared and we proceeded on to mdw (-X 800 3 southwest) and det (400 and 3 southwest) without further problems of any sort. The FAA inspector wrote up the incident suggesting the item was still inoperative. They, the FAA, checked the logbook and found the first officer's radar altimeter written up 5 days later! Apparently they consider this fact sufficient evidence to proceed with enforcement action! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the FAA regional office in ft worth sent the reporter a letter. An informal hearing was held at which time the principal inspector agreed that this kind of thing happens. The reporter has received a letter stating that no action would be taken. The aci in the cockpit was an operations inspector, a retired airline captain. He told another aci who is very hot on radio altimeters about this incident. The radio altimeter expert wanted some action taken. The reporter states that his chief pilot interviewed all of the pilots (about 14) that had flown the aircraft before it was finally written up. They all agreed that the radio altimeter worked more or less normally within their personal limits, and that it worked properly after the circuit breaker had been exercised. Supplemental information from acn 238405: red flag on #2 radio altimeter came in view on short final. Unit returned to normal operation shortly after arriving at the gate. Unit ground tested ok and continued to operate normally for the remainder of the trip. Captain made no entry in the maintenance log.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CREW HAD AN INTERMITTENT RADIO ALTIMETER ON APCH TO LNDG. AN FAA ACI WAS IN THE JUMP SEAT.

Narrative: PHX TO MCI WITH FAA INSPECTOR ON JUMP SEAT. AFTER LNDG, FO AND INSPECTOR COMMENT ON FO'S RADAR ALTIMETER WHICH AT APPROX 100 FT WENT FULL SCALE, THEN 0 WITH OFF FLAG. ON ARR AT THE GATE, I GOT INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSION AND I PULLED AND RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WHICH REMOVED THE FLAG. THE FAA MAN WAS DEPLANING WHEN THE FLAG RETURNED. THE FO SUGGESTED IT MIGHT BE CAUSED BY THE PROVISIONING VEHICLE WHICH HAD JUST ARRIVED. AFTER THE LARGE TUGS, LAV CARTS, ETC, LEFT WE RECYCLED THE BREAKER AND THE FLAG DISAPPEARED AND WE PROCEEDED ON TO MDW (-X 800 3 SW) AND DET (400 AND 3 SW) WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS OF ANY SORT. THE FAA INSPECTOR WROTE UP THE INCIDENT SUGGESTING THE ITEM WAS STILL INOP. THEY, THE FAA, CHKED THE LOGBOOK AND FOUND THE FO'S RADAR ALTIMETER WRITTEN UP 5 DAYS LATER! APPARENTLY THEY CONSIDER THIS FACT SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO PROCEED WITH ENFORCEMENT ACTION! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FAA REGIONAL OFFICE IN FT WORTH SENT THE RPTR A LETTER. AN INFORMAL HEARING WAS HELD AT WHICH TIME THE PRINCIPAL INSPECTOR AGREED THAT THIS KIND OF THING HAPPENS. THE RPTR HAS RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. THE ACI IN THE COCKPIT WAS AN OPS INSPECTOR, A RETIRED AIRLINE CAPT. HE TOLD ANOTHER ACI WHO IS VERY HOT ON RADIO ALTIMETERS ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. THE RADIO ALTIMETER EXPERT WANTED SOME ACTION TAKEN. THE RPTR STATES THAT HIS CHIEF PLT INTERVIEWED ALL OF THE PLTS (ABOUT 14) THAT HAD FLOWN THE ACFT BEFORE IT WAS FINALLY WRITTEN UP. THEY ALL AGREED THAT THE RADIO ALTIMETER WORKED MORE OR LESS NORMALLY WITHIN THEIR PERSONAL LIMITS, AND THAT IT WORKED PROPERLY AFTER THE CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD BEEN EXERCISED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 238405: RED FLAG ON #2 RADIO ALTIMETER CAME IN VIEW ON SHORT FINAL. UNIT RETURNED TO NORMAL OP SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE. UNIT GND TESTED OK AND CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. CAPT MADE NO ENTRY IN THE MAINT LOG.

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.