Narrative:

Called to gate for maintenance. Upon arrival, first officer directed me to the flight attendant, who stated her no smoking/fasten seat belt light was flickering in flight. I went to the 4TH jumpseat to the rear facing bulkhead light assembly. The no smoking light would flicker when you would bump the wall. So, I pulled the light out with my fingers and checked bulbs for their security. During this time, an FAA inspector walked back there and asked what I was doing. I told him checking bulbs. He walked back up front. I restored the light and went up front to talk to the captain to see if it's in the logbook and to get it cleared. The inspector stopped me and told me it was not in the book, and I was doing undocumented maintenance, and I had tools in my hand and was not allowed to carry tools on the aircraft without a logbook item. I told him I was trying to find the captain to have him enter it in the book. He did not seem to understand this and kept telling me the far I was violating. The reason I am contacting as soon as possible is it was not in the book at the time I was working on, but it was before it left. So, I'm not sure if there is a violation on my part.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 TECHNICIAN WORKING A VERBAL CREW RPT WAS ADVISED BY AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR OF VIOLATING THE FAR BY WORKING A RPT WITH NO LOG ENTRY.

Narrative: CALLED TO GATE FOR MAINT. UPON ARR, FO DIRECTED ME TO THE FLT ATTENDANT, WHO STATED HER NO SMOKING/FASTEN SEAT BELT LIGHT WAS FLICKERING IN FLT. I WENT TO THE 4TH JUMPSEAT TO THE REAR FACING BULKHEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THE NO SMOKING LIGHT WOULD FLICKER WHEN YOU WOULD BUMP THE WALL. SO, I PULLED THE LIGHT OUT WITH MY FINGERS AND CHKED BULBS FOR THEIR SECURITY. DURING THIS TIME, AN FAA INSPECTOR WALKED BACK THERE AND ASKED WHAT I WAS DOING. I TOLD HIM CHKING BULBS. HE WALKED BACK UP FRONT. I RESTORED THE LIGHT AND WENT UP FRONT TO TALK TO THE CAPT TO SEE IF IT'S IN THE LOGBOOK AND TO GET IT CLRED. THE INSPECTOR STOPPED ME AND TOLD ME IT WAS NOT IN THE BOOK, AND I WAS DOING UNDOCUMENTED MAINT, AND I HAD TOOLS IN MY HAND AND WAS NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY TOOLS ON THE ACFT WITHOUT A LOGBOOK ITEM. I TOLD HIM I WAS TRYING TO FIND THE CAPT TO HAVE HIM ENTER IT IN THE BOOK. HE DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THIS AND KEPT TELLING ME THE FAR I WAS VIOLATING. THE REASON I AM CONTACTING ASAP IS IT WAS NOT IN THE BOOK AT THE TIME I WAS WORKING ON, BUT IT WAS BEFORE IT LEFT. SO, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE IS A VIOLATION ON MY PART.

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.