Narrative:

While waiting in operations for my aircraft to arrive, I was told by an agent that there was an FAA controller who wanted to ride in the jumpseat but he looked horrible and did not have a tie and was wearing a bomber jacket. I said he needed first class attire. The agent left and then returned a few min later and said the man in question was being a jerk -- was mad and was going to do a ramp check because we weren't going to let him ride in the jumpseat. I asked whether he was a controller or an inspector and the agent said that he must be an inspector. I went to the gate and introduced myself. The individual appeared disheveled -- in need of a shave and had neither a tie or a business- type jacket. He presented identify as X and indeed was an FAA inspector. I am well aware of the FAA administrators right to the jumpseat and was unsure of how to proceed in this case. I informed mr X of air carrier policy regarding proper attire for jumpseat occupancy and also mentioned that I did not appreciate the appearance of retribution, real or imagined, by his giving the agents the idea that he was going to do a ramp check because he was not dressed appropriately for the jumpseat. Mr X was very polite at this point and stressed that he did not mean to give that impression. He said he had been up since xaam giving inspections to 2 different freight carriers and needed to do a check on a fokker to fulfill his duties. We then went to the aircraft and he checked the logbook and said he would go try to get on brand X. The whole affair was uncomfortable for everyone. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was intimidated by the inspector, or rather his official position, to the point that if the inspector had insisted on 'riding the jump seat,' he would have permitted it. He said that the inspector left on a hurried run after checking the aircraft logbook. This incident caused worry to the reporting captain for the next few days since he believed to deny jumpseat privileges may cause him his job. He further stated that the computerized report, like the copy sent to us, is distributed to his chief pilot and employee union as well. He did think that the chief pilot had sent a copy to the company's FAA poi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA INSPECTOR REFUSED JUMPSEAT PRIVILEGE DUE TO APPEARANCE.

Narrative: WHILE WAITING IN OPS FOR MY ACFT TO ARRIVE, I WAS TOLD BY AN AGENT THAT THERE WAS AN FAA CTLR WHO WANTED TO RIDE IN THE JUMPSEAT BUT HE LOOKED HORRIBLE AND DID NOT HAVE A TIE AND WAS WEARING A BOMBER JACKET. I SAID HE NEEDED FIRST CLASS ATTIRE. THE AGENT LEFT AND THEN RETURNED A FEW MIN LATER AND SAID THE MAN IN QUESTION WAS BEING A JERK -- WAS MAD AND WAS GOING TO DO A RAMP CHK BECAUSE WE WEREN'T GOING TO LET HIM RIDE IN THE JUMPSEAT. I ASKED WHETHER HE WAS A CTLR OR AN INSPECTOR AND THE AGENT SAID THAT HE MUST BE AN INSPECTOR. I WENT TO THE GATE AND INTRODUCED MYSELF. THE INDIVIDUAL APPEARED DISHEVELED -- IN NEED OF A SHAVE AND HAD NEITHER A TIE OR A BUSINESS- TYPE JACKET. HE PRESENTED IDENT AS X AND INDEED WAS AN FAA INSPECTOR. I AM WELL AWARE OF THE FAA ADMINISTRATORS RIGHT TO THE JUMPSEAT AND WAS UNSURE OF HOW TO PROCEED IN THIS CASE. I INFORMED MR X OF ACR POLICY REGARDING PROPER ATTIRE FOR JUMPSEAT OCCUPANCY AND ALSO MENTIONED THAT I DID NOT APPRECIATE THE APPEARANCE OF RETRIBUTION, REAL OR IMAGINED, BY HIS GIVING THE AGENTS THE IDEA THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO A RAMP CHK BECAUSE HE WAS NOT DRESSED APPROPRIATELY FOR THE JUMPSEAT. MR X WAS VERY POLITE AT THIS POINT AND STRESSED THAT HE DID NOT MEAN TO GIVE THAT IMPRESSION. HE SAID HE HAD BEEN UP SINCE XAAM GIVING INSPECTIONS TO 2 DIFFERENT FREIGHT CARRIERS AND NEEDED TO DO A CHK ON A FOKKER TO FULFILL HIS DUTIES. WE THEN WENT TO THE ACFT AND HE CHKED THE LOGBOOK AND SAID HE WOULD GO TRY TO GET ON BRAND X. THE WHOLE AFFAIR WAS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR EVERYONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS INTIMIDATED BY THE INSPECTOR, OR RATHER HIS OFFICIAL POS, TO THE POINT THAT IF THE INSPECTOR HAD INSISTED ON 'RIDING THE JUMP SEAT,' HE WOULD HAVE PERMITTED IT. HE SAID THAT THE INSPECTOR LEFT ON A HURRIED RUN AFTER CHKING THE ACFT LOGBOOK. THIS INCIDENT CAUSED WORRY TO THE RPTING CAPT FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS SINCE HE BELIEVED TO DENY JUMPSEAT PRIVILEGES MAY CAUSE HIM HIS JOB. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE COMPUTERIZED RPT, LIKE THE COPY SENT TO US, IS DISTRIBUTED TO HIS CHIEF PLT AND EMPLOYEE UNION AS WELL. HE DID THINK THAT THE CHIEF PLT HAD SENT A COPY TO THE COMPANY'S FAA POI.

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.