Narrative:

During cruise, flight attendant informed us that a passenger informed her that she was with the FAA off duty and would like to look at her manual. She asked me if she should show it to her and I asked if the passenger had shown her her credentials. Flight attendant #1 said that she had not, so I told her not to show her flight attendant manual because of security concerns. I was later informed that the alleged FAA inspector wanted to know their procedures for handling a seat back that would not stay upright for takeoff. Apparently seat xb seat back would not stay upright during taxi out, and one of the flight attendants worked the control and shook the seat back which appeared to fix the problem. I wrote up the seat and had the flight attendant tell the alleged FAA inspector that I would be happy to talk to her on the ground. After gate arrival I did talk to the FAA inspector and offered to let her look at a flight attendant manual now that I observed her FAA credentials. She declined, saying that she could check the FAA's copy of the manual at her office, and that she would be looking into airline's procedures, and possible design flaws in our passenger seats.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOTING AN APPARENT PAX SEAT BACK PROBLEM, OFF DUTY FAA INSPECTOR REQUESTS FLT ATTENDANT OF MD80 IN CRUISE TO SHOW HER THE FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL. FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIES CAPT, WHO DENIES REQUEST DUE SECURITY CONCERNS WHEN ADVISED FAA INSPECTOR HAS NOT SHOWN HER CREDENTIALS. AFTER LNDG, CAPT VERIFIES INSPECTOR ID, AND OFFERS TO PROVIDE MANUAL, BUT INSPECTOR ADVISES SHE WILL CHECK THE FAA COPY AT HER OFFICE.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE, FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT A PAX INFORMED HER THAT SHE WAS WITH THE FAA OFF DUTY AND WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT HER MANUAL. SHE ASKED ME IF SHE SHOULD SHOW IT TO HER AND I ASKED IF THE PAX HAD SHOWN HER HER CREDENTIALS. FLT ATTENDANT #1 SAID THAT SHE HAD NOT, SO I TOLD HER NOT TO SHOW HER FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL BECAUSE OF SECURITY CONCERNS. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THE ALLEGED FAA INSPECTOR WANTED TO KNOW THEIR PROCS FOR HANDLING A SEAT BACK THAT WOULD NOT STAY UPRIGHT FOR TKOF. APPARENTLY SEAT XB SEAT BACK WOULD NOT STAY UPRIGHT DURING TAXI OUT, AND ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS WORKED THE CTL AND SHOOK THE SEAT BACK WHICH APPEARED TO FIX THE PROB. I WROTE UP THE SEAT AND HAD THE FLT ATTENDANT TELL THE ALLEGED FAA INSPECTOR THAT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK TO HER ON THE GND. AFTER GATE ARR I DID TALK TO THE FAA INSPECTOR AND OFFERED TO LET HER LOOK AT A FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL NOW THAT I OBSERVED HER FAA CREDENTIALS. SHE DECLINED, SAYING THAT SHE COULD CHK THE FAA'S COPY OF THE MANUAL AT HER OFFICE, AND THAT SHE WOULD BE LOOKING INTO AIRLINE'S PROCS, AND POSSIBLE DESIGN FLAWS IN OUR PAX SEATS.

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.