Narrative:

I was passenger on board my small aircraft returning from lakeland, fl. When we arrived at johnston county airport, smithfield, nc (jnx), the PIC elected to land on runway 21. This was the active as reported on unicom. Prior to landing we entered a downwind leg. While on downwind leg 1 aircraft was observed on final, there was no reported traffic. The low wing aircraft was observed touching down and rolling out on runway 21 and turning off to a parallel taxiway and back taxiing to the ramp on the north end of the airfield. At this point in time we were on final approach. The PIC elected to fly down the runway. Approximately midfield he offset his course to the right on runway 21's centerline. Upon reaching the end of runway 21 the pilot entered a climbing turn and entered a downwind leg for runway 21. The approach was made and a full stop landing completed. The aircraft back-taxied to the north end of the airfield to the refueling point. After deplaning I was approached by an individual who idented himself as an aviation safety inspector with the FAA. He presented me with his business card and asked me if I was the aircraft owner. Mr. X, an inspector with FSDO-06, asked me to produce my pilot's certificate and medical, this I did and all was in order. At this point in time mr. X questioned our altitude that we flew down the airfield, I stated that I felt as though we were approximately 150 ft. Mr. X then questioned me if I felt that that was a wise thing to do. I had no reply to the question. I asked mr. X if I was in violation of anything, he had no reply to the question other than to ask me my opinion on what I thought he should do. The only other exchange in conversation during this time with mr. X was the statement that a student pilot might question the first approach we made. Mr. X left with no comment whether he was filing a violation on me or not. I felt that I should report this incident to you on an arc 277 form and hopefully clarify this situation. Supplemental information from acn 239463: I back taxied to the fuel pumps and proceeded to refuel the aircraft. At this time a gentleman approached mr. Y, the owner and passenger of the aircraft, and began a conversation. At this time he was unknown to me. I later learned from mr. Y that he was an FAA inspector and was concerned about the altitude and manner in which I flew down the runway. Mr. X, the FAA inspector, never approached me or introduced himself to me. After talking to mr. Y I felt that this matter should be addressed since mr. Y was not the PIC.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT MADE A LOW ALT PASS DOWN THE RWY AT AN UNCTLED ARPT CAUSING AN FAA INSPECTOR TO QUESTION THE PAX OWNER ABOUT THE APPEARANCE AND NEED FOR THE LOW ALT PASS PRIOR TO LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS PAX ON BOARD MY SMA RETURNING FROM LAKELAND, FL. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT JOHNSTON COUNTY ARPT, SMITHFIELD, NC (JNX), THE PIC ELECTED TO LAND ON RWY 21. THIS WAS THE ACTIVE AS RPTED ON UNICOM. PRIOR TO LNDG WE ENTERED A DOWNWIND LEG. WHILE ON DOWNWIND LEG 1 ACFT WAS OBSERVED ON FINAL, THERE WAS NO RPTED TFC. THE LOW WING ACFT WAS OBSERVED TOUCHING DOWN AND ROLLING OUT ON RWY 21 AND TURNING OFF TO A PARALLEL TXWY AND BACK TAXIING TO THE RAMP ON THE N END OF THE AIRFIELD. AT THIS POINT IN TIME WE WERE ON FINAL APCH. THE PIC ELECTED TO FLY DOWN THE RWY. APPROX MIDFIELD HE OFFSET HIS COURSE TO THE R ON RWY 21'S CTRLINE. UPON REACHING THE END OF RWY 21 THE PLT ENTERED A CLBING TURN AND ENTERED A DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 21. THE APCH WAS MADE AND A FULL STOP LNDG COMPLETED. THE ACFT BACK-TAXIED TO THE N END OF THE AIRFIELD TO THE REFUELING POINT. AFTER DEPLANING I WAS APCHED BY AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IDENTED HIMSELF AS AN AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR WITH THE FAA. HE PRESENTED ME WITH HIS BUSINESS CARD AND ASKED ME IF I WAS THE ACFT OWNER. MR. X, AN INSPECTOR WITH FSDO-06, ASKED ME TO PRODUCE MY PLT'S CERTIFICATE AND MEDICAL, THIS I DID AND ALL WAS IN ORDER. AT THIS POINT IN TIME MR. X QUESTIONED OUR ALT THAT WE FLEW DOWN THE AIRFIELD, I STATED THAT I FELT AS THOUGH WE WERE APPROX 150 FT. MR. X THEN QUESTIONED ME IF I FELT THAT THAT WAS A WISE THING TO DO. I HAD NO REPLY TO THE QUESTION. I ASKED MR. X IF I WAS IN VIOLATION OF ANYTHING, HE HAD NO REPLY TO THE QUESTION OTHER THAN TO ASK ME MY OPINION ON WHAT I THOUGHT HE SHOULD DO. THE ONLY OTHER EXCHANGE IN CONVERSATION DURING THIS TIME WITH MR. X WAS THE STATEMENT THAT A STUDENT PLT MIGHT QUESTION THE FIRST APCH WE MADE. MR. X LEFT WITH NO COMMENT WHETHER HE WAS FILING A VIOLATION ON ME OR NOT. I FELT THAT I SHOULD RPT THIS INCIDENT TO YOU ON AN ARC 277 FORM AND HOPEFULLY CLARIFY THIS SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 239463: I BACK TAXIED TO THE FUEL PUMPS AND PROCEEDED TO REFUEL THE ACFT. AT THIS TIME A GENTLEMAN APCHED MR. Y, THE OWNER AND PAX OF THE ACFT, AND BEGAN A CONVERSATION. AT THIS TIME HE WAS UNKNOWN TO ME. I LATER LEARNED FROM MR. Y THAT HE WAS AN FAA INSPECTOR AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ALT AND MANNER IN WHICH I FLEW DOWN THE RWY. MR. X, THE FAA INSPECTOR, NEVER APCHED ME OR INTRODUCED HIMSELF TO ME. AFTER TALKING TO MR. Y I FELT THAT THIS MATTER SHOULD BE ADDRESSED SINCE MR. Y WAS NOT THE PIC.

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.