Narrative:

An FAA maintenance inspector created an unsafe situation in our aircraft starting at preflight and lasting until parking at destination due to his interrogative and aggressive attitude. The flight attendants and pilots were distracted from their normal duties by the inspector's demeanor. I've seen lots of inspectors on many flts performing different types of checks or merely observing. But none have managed to get the entire crew so riled up and distracted from their duties as this one. I feel the best way to describe this to you is to list the events and occurrences of the flight. I don't know enough about the FAA's procedures during en route checks to say he did this wrong and that right, but I do know what effect his actions had on our crew. Summary: I feel this inspector was not proficiently trained to perform checks. He lacked situational awareness and had no tact. He appeared to be unaware of how his aggressive and intimidating presence and comments adversely affected the pilot's and flight attendants' performance throughout the flight. I personally felt and sensed more nervousness and crew tension than I ever have during any simulator check or actual in-flight emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC AND CABIN CREW WERE DISTRACTED AND EMOTIONALLY UPSET BY THE ATTITUDE AND ACTIONS OF AN FAA ACI AIRWORTHINESS (MAINT) INSPECTOR ON AN ENRTE CHK.

Narrative: AN FAA MAINT INSPECTOR CREATED AN UNSAFE SIT IN OUR ACFT STARTING AT PREFLT AND LASTING UNTIL PARKING AT DEST DUE TO HIS INTERROGATIVE AND AGGRESSIVE ATTITUDE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND PLTS WERE DISTRACTED FROM THEIR NORMAL DUTIES BY THE INSPECTOR'S DEMEANOR. I'VE SEEN LOTS OF INSPECTORS ON MANY FLTS PERFORMING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHKS OR MERELY OBSERVING. BUT NONE HAVE MANAGED TO GET THE ENTIRE CREW SO RILED UP AND DISTRACTED FROM THEIR DUTIES AS THIS ONE. I FEEL THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THIS TO YOU IS TO LIST THE EVENTS AND OCCURRENCES OF THE FLT. I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE FAA'S PROCS DURING ENRTE CHKS TO SAY HE DID THIS WRONG AND THAT RIGHT, BUT I DO KNOW WHAT EFFECT HIS ACTIONS HAD ON OUR CREW. SUMMARY: I FEEL THIS INSPECTOR WAS NOT PROFICIENTLY TRAINED TO PERFORM CHKS. HE LACKED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND HAD NO TACT. HE APPEARED TO BE UNAWARE OF HOW HIS AGGRESSIVE AND INTIMIDATING PRESENCE AND COMMENTS ADVERSELY AFFECTED THE PLT'S AND FLT ATTENDANTS' PERFORMANCE THROUGHOUT THE FLT. I PERSONALLY FELT AND SENSED MORE NERVOUSNESS AND CREW TENSION THAN I EVER HAVE DURING ANY SIMULATOR CHK OR ACTUAL INFLT EMER.

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.