Narrative:

A passenger contacted a flight attendant to report an apparent missing fastener on an inspection panel at the left wing engine pylon. When notified of this information, the captain asked me to proceed to the cabin for a visual inspection. I spoke with the reporting passenger at length and had a difficult time identing the area that he was talking about. Eventually I was satisfied that my visual inspection of the left wing and the engine pylon resulted in no identifiable problems. I made a comforting remark to the passenger like 'okay thanks' and returned to the flight deck. When I returned from the visual inspection, I informed the captain that I made a thorough visual inspection of the area and did not identify any problems. I stated to the captain that the area looked 'clean' and that it appeared to be 'okay.' we proceeded normally to anc. Upon arrival in anc we were informed that an inspector with the FAA wanted to speak with the captain. The FAA inspector showed us his credentials and asked to see mine and the captain's. We complied. It turns out that the FAA inspector (later determined to be a maintenance inspector) was the passenger that reported the missing fastener to the flight attendant. He also spoke to me during the visual inspection while attempting to identify the discrepancy. At no time did he identify himself to me as an FAA inspector or for that matter as an individual who has some credible aviation experience. Upon learning of his identify in anc we spoke with him further about the discrepancy. He stated that he still believed that the fastener was missing. We made a maintenance logbook write-up immediately that was handled by anc maintenance (aircraft logbook page).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 PAX LATER IDENTED AS AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR RPTED A FASTENER MISSING FROM THE L PYLON. FLC ENTERED LOG RPT.

Narrative: A PAX CONTACTED A FLT ATTENDANT TO RPT AN APPARENT MISSING FASTENER ON AN INSPECTION PANEL AT THE L WING ENG PYLON. WHEN NOTIFIED OF THIS INFO, THE CAPT ASKED ME TO PROCEED TO THE CABIN FOR A VISUAL INSPECTION. I SPOKE WITH THE RPTING PAX AT LENGTH AND HAD A DIFFICULT TIME IDENTING THE AREA THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. EVENTUALLY I WAS SATISFIED THAT MY VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE L WING AND THE ENG PYLON RESULTED IN NO IDENTIFIABLE PROBS. I MADE A COMFORTING REMARK TO THE PAX LIKE 'OKAY THANKS' AND RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK. WHEN I RETURNED FROM THE VISUAL INSPECTION, I INFORMED THE CAPT THAT I MADE A THOROUGH VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AREA AND DID NOT IDENT ANY PROBS. I STATED TO THE CAPT THAT THE AREA LOOKED 'CLEAN' AND THAT IT APPEARED TO BE 'OKAY.' WE PROCEEDED NORMALLY TO ANC. UPON ARR IN ANC WE WERE INFORMED THAT AN INSPECTOR WITH THE FAA WANTED TO SPEAK WITH THE CAPT. THE FAA INSPECTOR SHOWED US HIS CREDENTIALS AND ASKED TO SEE MINE AND THE CAPT'S. WE COMPLIED. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE FAA INSPECTOR (LATER DETERMINED TO BE A MAINT INSPECTOR) WAS THE PAX THAT RPTED THE MISSING FASTENER TO THE FLT ATTENDANT. HE ALSO SPOKE TO ME DURING THE VISUAL INSPECTION WHILE ATTEMPTING TO IDENT THE DISCREPANCY. AT NO TIME DID HE IDENT HIMSELF TO ME AS AN FAA INSPECTOR OR FOR THAT MATTER AS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS SOME CREDIBLE AVIATION EXPERIENCE. UPON LEARNING OF HIS IDENT IN ANC WE SPOKE WITH HIM FURTHER ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY. HE STATED THAT HE STILL BELIEVED THAT THE FASTENER WAS MISSING. WE MADE A MAINT LOGBOOK WRITE-UP IMMEDIATELY THAT WAS HANDLED BY ANC MAINT (ACFT LOGBOOK PAGE).

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.