Narrative:

The latest electronic message from air carrier states that the FAA safety inspector is to situation in the seat of his choice. This should only apply to non-augmented crew. When there is a 3RD pilot assigned the 1ST observer seat is his workstation. I had an incident on jul/sat/01, with an inspector. He insisted on moving my 3RD pilot out of the 1ST observer seat so he could situation there. I said no, that the seat in question was the 3RD pilot's workstation and that he could observe the flight as a 3 man crew from the other seat. He said that part of his job was to foul up our flow and for us to work without him. Very strange for a safety inspector. I want the 3RD pilot in that seat for safety. If we have a problem on takeoff or landing, I want him there to check WX, back us up on procedures and be an overview safety net for the operation. We are tired after flying all night and small mistakes are made going into lhr. The 3RD pilot is there to watch traffic and the other pilots. The safety inspector can observe from the other seat just as well. That is his mission. I will not take a flight where a relief pilot is assigned if the FAA insists on moving him out of the loop and off his workstation. This is a degradation of safety and increases the chance of an accident. It is not right. Please clarify this issue for I feel if it is not, then bad inspectors like this one will insist they are right and some night my air carrier will have an accident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that since he was informed his company supervisor's and employment representative of the situation he has been advised that there is no interest in pursuing this matter further since the inspector does have the legal right to occupy the first jump seat. Since the aircraft is type rated for only 2 crew members, the flight crew are required and capable to operate the aircraft safely without the 3RD relief crew member seating in the #1 seat. Therefore, the company has disseminated a company bulletin regarding the status of the relief pilot for long flts, to be considered an en route crew member until assigned to actual relief duty. This permits the captain to seat the relief pilot anywhere in the aircraft until needed. He further stated that over 15 yrs of flying that he has accommodated several FAA inspectors who all acted in a professional and cooperative manner and actually enjoyed their presence and helpful recommendation during and after flight. This inspector was the first one that made off handed remarks, ie, 'I'm here to disrupt your routine and mess up your day.' these remarks were after the captain explained that he was welcome to the cockpit and that he could situation in the #1 seat at 10000 ft altitude and above.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 CAPT REFUSES FAA INSPECTOR #1 COCKPIT JUMP SEAT FOR ENRTE INSPECTION FROM JFK TO LHR WHEREIN ANOTHER CREW MEMBER AUGMENTS THE REGULAR CREW ON INTL FLTS. OFFERED THE #2 OBSERVER SEAT.

Narrative: THE LATEST ELECTRONIC MESSAGE FROM ACR STATES THAT THE FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR IS TO SIT IN THE SEAT OF HIS CHOICE. THIS SHOULD ONLY APPLY TO NON-AUGMENTED CREW. WHEN THERE IS A 3RD PLT ASSIGNED THE 1ST OBSERVER SEAT IS HIS WORKSTATION. I HAD AN INCIDENT ON JUL/SAT/01, WITH AN INSPECTOR. HE INSISTED ON MOVING MY 3RD PLT OUT OF THE 1ST OBSERVER SEAT SO HE COULD SIT THERE. I SAID NO, THAT THE SEAT IN QUESTION WAS THE 3RD PLT'S WORKSTATION AND THAT HE COULD OBSERVE THE FLT AS A 3 MAN CREW FROM THE OTHER SEAT. HE SAID THAT PART OF HIS JOB WAS TO FOUL UP OUR FLOW AND FOR US TO WORK WITHOUT HIM. VERY STRANGE FOR A SAFETY INSPECTOR. I WANT THE 3RD PLT IN THAT SEAT FOR SAFETY. IF WE HAVE A PROB ON TKOF OR LNDG, I WANT HIM THERE TO CHK WX, BACK US UP ON PROCS AND BE AN OVERVIEW SAFETY NET FOR THE OP. WE ARE TIRED AFTER FLYING ALL NIGHT AND SMALL MISTAKES ARE MADE GOING INTO LHR. THE 3RD PLT IS THERE TO WATCH TFC AND THE OTHER PLTS. THE SAFETY INSPECTOR CAN OBSERVE FROM THE OTHER SEAT JUST AS WELL. THAT IS HIS MISSION. I WILL NOT TAKE A FLT WHERE A RELIEF PLT IS ASSIGNED IF THE FAA INSISTS ON MOVING HIM OUT OF THE LOOP AND OFF HIS WORKSTATION. THIS IS A DEGRADATION OF SAFETY AND INCREASES THE CHANCE OF AN ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT RIGHT. PLEASE CLARIFY THIS ISSUE FOR I FEEL IF IT IS NOT, THEN BAD INSPECTORS LIKE THIS ONE WILL INSIST THEY ARE RIGHT AND SOME NIGHT MY ACR WILL HAVE AN ACCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT SINCE HE WAS INFORMED HIS COMPANY SUPVR'S AND EMPLOYMENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SIT HE HAS BEEN ADVISED THAT THERE IS NO INTEREST IN PURSUING THIS MATTER FURTHER SINCE THE INSPECTOR DOES HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO OCCUPY THE FIRST JUMP SEAT. SINCE THE ACFT IS TYPE RATED FOR ONLY 2 CREW MEMBERS, THE FLC ARE REQUIRED AND CAPABLE TO OPERATE THE ACFT SAFELY WITHOUT THE 3RD RELIEF CREW MEMBER SEATING IN THE #1 SEAT. THEREFORE, THE COMPANY HAS DISSEMINATED A COMPANY BULLETIN REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE RELIEF PLT FOR LONG FLTS, TO BE CONSIDERED AN ENRTE CREW MEMBER UNTIL ASSIGNED TO ACTUAL RELIEF DUTY. THIS PERMITS THE CAPT TO SEAT THE RELIEF PLT ANYWHERE IN THE ACFT UNTIL NEEDED. HE FURTHER STATED THAT OVER 15 YRS OF FLYING THAT HE HAS ACCOMMODATED SEVERAL FAA INSPECTORS WHO ALL ACTED IN A PROFESSIONAL AND COOPERATIVE MANNER AND ACTUALLY ENJOYED THEIR PRESENCE AND HELPFUL RECOMMENDATION DURING AND AFTER FLT. THIS INSPECTOR WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT MADE OFF HANDED REMARKS, IE, 'I'M HERE TO DISRUPT YOUR ROUTINE AND MESS UP YOUR DAY.' THESE REMARKS WERE AFTER THE CAPT EXPLAINED THAT HE WAS WELCOME TO THE COCKPIT AND THAT HE COULD SIT IN THE #1 SEAT AT 10000 FT ALT AND ABOVE.

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.