Narrative:

FAA flight standards passenger on flight took offense at flight attendant's solution to carry-on baggage problem. Flight attendant stored 2 boxes of toys under seats of empty row of cabin. Boxes protruded somewhat from under seat. FAA objected and idented himself to flight attendant. Flight attendant took offense. FAA did not identify himself prior. Intense discussions followed. Flight attendant notified cockpit of problem en route and that FAA would debrief cockpit after flight. Inspector notified captain he did not like attitude of flight attendants and vagueness of manuals. Expect repercussions for flight attendant training, manuals, agent procedures, etc. Noted cockpit has little or no guidance for this problem. Suggest firmer guidelines to address problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he didn't know how far out the boxes were protruding from under the seats. He thought that it was easy to see why the flight attendant and FAA standards person had a confrontational problem, because of the FAA person's attitude was obnoxious. The reporter only learned the facts after the flight when they debriefed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPT, B757, MIA-BOG, FAA STANDARDS INSPECTOR OBJECTED TO FLT ATTENDANT'S HANDLING OF CARRY-ON LUGGAGE UNDER SEATS.

Narrative: FAA FLT STANDARDS PAX ON FLT TOOK OFFENSE AT FLT ATTENDANT'S SOLUTION TO CARRY-ON BAGGAGE PROB. FLT ATTENDANT STORED 2 BOXES OF TOYS UNDER SEATS OF EMPTY ROW OF CABIN. BOXES PROTRUDED SOMEWHAT FROM UNDER SEAT. FAA OBJECTED AND IDENTED HIMSELF TO FLT ATTENDANT. FLT ATTENDANT TOOK OFFENSE. FAA DID NOT IDENT HIMSELF PRIOR. INTENSE DISCUSSIONS FOLLOWED. FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED COCKPIT OF PROB ENRTE AND THAT FAA WOULD DEBRIEF COCKPIT AFTER FLT. INSPECTOR NOTIFIED CAPT HE DID NOT LIKE ATTITUDE OF FLT ATTENDANTS AND VAGUENESS OF MANUALS. EXPECT REPERCUSSIONS FOR FLT ATTENDANT TRAINING, MANUALS, AGENT PROCS, ETC. NOTED COCKPIT HAS LITTLE OR NO GUIDANCE FOR THIS PROB. SUGGEST FIRMER GUIDELINES TO ADDRESS PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW FAR OUT THE BOXES WERE PROTRUDING FROM UNDER THE SEATS. HE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS EASY TO SEE WHY THE FLT ATTENDANT AND FAA STANDARDS PERSON HAD A CONFRONTATIONAL PROB, BECAUSE OF THE FAA PERSON'S ATTITUDE WAS OBNOXIOUS. THE RPTR ONLY LEARNED THE FACTS AFTER THE FLT WHEN THEY DEBRIEFED.

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.