Narrative:

MEL'ed APU. Ground power plug was pulled before external power switch selected off, which leads to a 1 to 1.5 second power interruption before right engine generator takes buses. This resulted in 6 EICAS status level messages, including 3 related to flight controls (rvd and elev). On the inbound leg to lax, the captain had assumed an intimidating and threatening manner as I had tried to help him with a changed arrival and approach and runway. He fell behind the aircraft, but instead of accepting assistance, he began to 'compete' and decided he had to prove he was better than I am. He became more confrontational and angrier than anyone I had ever flown with before and my attempts at defusing the situation actually worsened it. Our company teaches in CRM that it is not 'who's right,' but 'what's right' that matters. He became obsessed with proving he was right. On taxi out, when I attempted to clear the 6 status messages on this, our second flight of the pairing, he became aggressive again. I insisted that we at least contact maintenance on the radio because the status messages determine aircraft's suitability for dispatch. We stopped on the taxiway and called maintenance, who told us the messages were a result of the power interruption and to continue. This only made him angrier because 'I had delayed our flight' to get 'obvious' information. Whether they obviously resulted from power interruption or not, I would have returned to the gate to have maintenance clear them and put it in the logbook. This captain had me threatened and intimidated to the point that I did not even suggest this. Once airborne, he yelled at me for about 1/2 hour. Upon arrival in iah, I consulted with my pilots' union's safety committee and another B757 captain I know, and called in sick because this captain was preventing me from doing my job. I have given 6 pages of documentation to the union professional standards committee. I cannot fly with this captain again safely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 FO'S RPT ON HAVING TO DEAL WITH AN IRRATIONAL, ILL TEMPERED CAPT WHO WAS UNABLE TO DEAL WITH A MINOR ACFT EQUIP PROB IN A CIVIL MANNER ON THE TAXI OUT OF LAX, CA.

Narrative: MEL'ED APU. GND PWR PLUG WAS PULLED BEFORE EXTERNAL PWR SWITCH SELECTED OFF, WHICH LEADS TO A 1 TO 1.5 SECOND PWR INTERRUPTION BEFORE R ENG GENERATOR TAKES BUSES. THIS RESULTED IN 6 EICAS STATUS LEVEL MESSAGES, INCLUDING 3 RELATED TO FLT CTLS (RVD AND ELEV). ON THE INBOUND LEG TO LAX, THE CAPT HAD ASSUMED AN INTIMIDATING AND THREATENING MANNER AS I HAD TRIED TO HELP HIM WITH A CHANGED ARR AND APCH AND RWY. HE FELL BEHIND THE ACFT, BUT INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING ASSISTANCE, HE BEGAN TO 'COMPETE' AND DECIDED HE HAD TO PROVE HE WAS BETTER THAN I AM. HE BECAME MORE CONFRONTATIONAL AND ANGRIER THAN ANYONE I HAD EVER FLOWN WITH BEFORE AND MY ATTEMPTS AT DEFUSING THE SIT ACTUALLY WORSENED IT. OUR COMPANY TEACHES IN CRM THAT IT IS NOT 'WHO'S RIGHT,' BUT 'WHAT'S RIGHT' THAT MATTERS. HE BECAME OBSESSED WITH PROVING HE WAS RIGHT. ON TAXI OUT, WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO CLR THE 6 STATUS MESSAGES ON THIS, OUR SECOND FLT OF THE PAIRING, HE BECAME AGGRESSIVE AGAIN. I INSISTED THAT WE AT LEAST CONTACT MAINT ON THE RADIO BECAUSE THE STATUS MESSAGES DETERMINE ACFT'S SUITABILITY FOR DISPATCH. WE STOPPED ON THE TXWY AND CALLED MAINT, WHO TOLD US THE MESSAGES WERE A RESULT OF THE PWR INTERRUPTION AND TO CONTINUE. THIS ONLY MADE HIM ANGRIER BECAUSE 'I HAD DELAYED OUR FLT' TO GET 'OBVIOUS' INFO. WHETHER THEY OBVIOUSLY RESULTED FROM PWR INTERRUPTION OR NOT, I WOULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE GATE TO HAVE MAINT CLR THEM AND PUT IT IN THE LOGBOOK. THIS CAPT HAD ME THREATENED AND INTIMIDATED TO THE POINT THAT I DID NOT EVEN SUGGEST THIS. ONCE AIRBORNE, HE YELLED AT ME FOR ABOUT 1/2 HR. UPON ARR IN IAH, I CONSULTED WITH MY PLTS' UNION'S SAFETY COMMITTEE AND ANOTHER B757 CAPT I KNOW, AND CALLED IN SICK BECAUSE THIS CAPT WAS PREVENTING ME FROM DOING MY JOB. I HAVE GIVEN 6 PAGES OF DOCUMENTATION TO THE UNION PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE. I CANNOT FLY WITH THIS CAPT AGAIN SAFELY.

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.