Crew concerned about ramp check by FAA.

Attributes
ACN	470240
Time
Date	200004
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	470240
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

FAA inspectors arrived at gate and did walkaround of aircraft. Looked through maintenance logbook and questioned the validity of an MEL that was written up. They said that they were going to call our company and discuss it, but that 'this is nothing that will keep you here.' we decided to depart with the write-up the way it was as the inspectors sat in their car and waited until we taxied out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW CONCERNED ABOUT RAMP CHK BY FAA.

Narrative: FAA INSPECTORS ARRIVED AT GATE AND DID WALKAROUND OF ACFT. LOOKED THROUGH MAINT LOGBOOK AND QUESTIONED THE VALIDITY OF AN MEL THAT WAS WRITTEN UP. THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE GOING TO CALL OUR COMPANY AND DISCUSS IT, BUT THAT 'THIS IS NOTHING THAT WILL KEEP YOU HERE.' WE DECIDED TO DEPART WITH THE WRITE-UP THE WAY IT WAS AS THE INSPECTORS SAT IN THEIR CAR AND WAITED UNTIL WE TAXIED OUT.

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.