Narrative:

Upon arrival at aircraft was met by FAA air carrier inspector. He had previously stowed his gear by center jump seat. I requested he use the right side jump seat. I explained to him I was new on aircraft, it was my first departure on a B777 from cdg, the flying first officer was on his first pilot in control leg since completing his IOE, and our cockpit printer was inoperative necessitating a significant increase in cockpit workload on an ETOPS flight departing europe. My non flying first officer was quite experienced and I had been flying with him the entire month. The FAA inspector complained that 'he was just trying to do his job.' I explained that I too was just trying to do mine, and under the circumstances I would feel far more comfortable if my experienced first officer was not inhibited in any way from accessing the controls on the center pedestal and overhead panel. The inspector complied with my request informing me he would 'note my actions in his report.' I said 'fine!' I believe the FAA's insistence to use the center jump seat, regardless of the circumstances impinges on captain's authority/authorized and potentially degrades the safe operation of the aircraft. Please note the following: 1) there are displays and controls on the pedestal which cannot be accessed by the non flying first officer from the right hand jump seat. These controls are required for routine communications with the company, ATC and the cabin crew, to say nothing of their usefulness in an irregularity or emergency. 2) when the center jump seat is occupied, access to and from the right hand jump seat is difficult requiring an excess amount of commotion on the flight deck. 3) I recently completed transition training on the B777 which was an aqp program. As part of that training, we simulated an ETOPS flight from the united states to cdg. The instructor played the role of the non flying first officer, providing us with all required information and assistance from the center of the cockpit. 4) on my ETOPS IOE, we operated with a non flying first officer on the center jump seat performing his normal duties. 5) I have flown only a handful of B777 ETOPS segments, all with a non flying first officer in the center jump seat. 6) I have not been trained, nor checked, nor received any form of ETOPS experience in the B777 without the full assistance of the non flying first officer operating in the center jump seat where he has full, uninhibited access to the required controls. 7) I believe the FAA, in exercising a primordial territorial claim to the center jump seat on B777 ETOPS flts in all circumstances demonstrates a callous disregard for air safety.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT AND FO NEW TO ACFT AND WANTED CTR JUMP SEAT FOR NON FLYING FO TO AID THE FLC. AN ACR INSPECTOR (ACI) WAS ON BOARD AND TOOK EXCEPTION TO BEING MOVED FROM THE CTR JUMP SEAT TO THE R JUMP SEAT.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT ACFT WAS MET BY FAA ACR INSPECTOR. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY STOWED HIS GEAR BY CTR JUMP SEAT. I REQUESTED HE USE THE R SIDE JUMP SEAT. I EXPLAINED TO HIM I WAS NEW ON ACFT, IT WAS MY FIRST DEP ON A B777 FROM CDG, THE FLYING FO WAS ON HIS FIRST PLT IN CTL LEG SINCE COMPLETING HIS IOE, AND OUR COCKPIT PRINTER WAS INOP NECESSITATING A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN COCKPIT WORKLOAD ON AN ETOPS FLT DEPARTING EUROPE. MY NON FLYING FO WAS QUITE EXPERIENCED AND I HAD BEEN FLYING WITH HIM THE ENTIRE MONTH. THE FAA INSPECTOR COMPLAINED THAT 'HE WAS JUST TRYING TO DO HIS JOB.' I EXPLAINED THAT I TOO WAS JUST TRYING TO DO MINE, AND UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES I WOULD FEEL FAR MORE COMFORTABLE IF MY EXPERIENCED FO WAS NOT INHIBITED IN ANY WAY FROM ACCESSING THE CTLS ON THE CTR PEDESTAL AND OVERHEAD PANEL. THE INSPECTOR COMPLIED WITH MY REQUEST INFORMING ME HE WOULD 'NOTE MY ACTIONS IN HIS RPT.' I SAID 'FINE!' I BELIEVE THE FAA'S INSISTENCE TO USE THE CTR JUMP SEAT, REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES IMPINGES ON CAPT'S AUTH AND POTENTIALLY DEGRADES THE SAFE OP OF THE ACFT. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: 1) THERE ARE DISPLAYS AND CTLS ON THE PEDESTAL WHICH CANNOT BE ACCESSED BY THE NON FLYING FO FROM THE R HAND JUMP SEAT. THESE CTLS ARE REQUIRED FOR ROUTINE COMS WITH THE COMPANY, ATC AND THE CABIN CREW, TO SAY NOTHING OF THEIR USEFULNESS IN AN IRREGULARITY OR EMER. 2) WHEN THE CTR JUMP SEAT IS OCCUPIED, ACCESS TO AND FROM THE R HAND JUMP SEAT IS DIFFICULT REQUIRING AN EXCESS AMOUNT OF COMMOTION ON THE FLT DECK. 3) I RECENTLY COMPLETED TRANSITION TRAINING ON THE B777 WHICH WAS AN AQP PROGRAM. AS PART OF THAT TRAINING, WE SIMULATED AN ETOPS FLT FROM THE UNITED STATES TO CDG. THE INSTRUCTOR PLAYED THE ROLE OF THE NON FLYING FO, PROVIDING US WITH ALL REQUIRED INFO AND ASSISTANCE FROM THE CTR OF THE COCKPIT. 4) ON MY ETOPS IOE, WE OPERATED WITH A NON FLYING FO ON THE CTR JUMP SEAT PERFORMING HIS NORMAL DUTIES. 5) I HAVE FLOWN ONLY A HANDFUL OF B777 ETOPS SEGMENTS, ALL WITH A NON FLYING FO IN THE CTR JUMP SEAT. 6) I HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED, NOR CHKED, NOR RECEIVED ANY FORM OF ETOPS EXPERIENCE IN THE B777 WITHOUT THE FULL ASSISTANCE OF THE NON FLYING FO OPERATING IN THE CTR JUMP SEAT WHERE HE HAS FULL, UNINHIBITED ACCESS TO THE REQUIRED CTLS. 7) I BELIEVE THE FAA, IN EXERCISING A PRIMORDIAL TERRITORIAL CLAIM TO THE CTR JUMP SEAT ON B777 ETOPS FLTS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES DEMONSTRATES A CALLOUS DISREGARD FOR AIR SAFETY.

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.