Narrative:

I submit this report solely for the purpose of improving crew knowledge and inter-cockpit working relations now that the ffdo program is reality. I greeted my assigned first officer about XA30 prior to the first leg of the identify at sfo operations. The first meeting was cordial and flight planning was uneventful, including some conversation about prior experience, personal issues such as commuting, family, etc. About 45-50 mins prior to departure time, as my first officer and I approached the aircraft (with pre-boarding in progress -- passenger on the jetway) the first officer asked me if I had flown with an ffdo. My reply was that I had not, but I had many questions unanswered regarding the program and my responsibility as captain and that until my questions were answered, I was very uncomfortable with the program. I was a bit annoyed that the first officer had not broached the subject earlier and in a less 'open' location. The first officer then said that this was his first trip since qualification as an ffdo. We discussed the program briefly and I asked the first officer if, due to the time and location, we could discuss the SOP in-flight. The first officer agreed and further offered to voluntarily keep the weapon in the locked box for the short leg to den. I did not order or demand that the ffdo duties be curtailed at any time. During the cruise portion of the leg, we discussed the ffdo SOP's and I reiterated my frustration with the lack of information in our operations manual and direction for the captain and crew. With the layover in the first officer's home town, I asked the first officer to consider leaving the weapon at home for the remainder of the trip, since I was uncomfortable. The answer was noncommittal. Day #2 began early morning in den. I asked the first officer during our preflight planning if the gun was present and after the answer was in the affirmative, I (jokingly to me, it certainly wasn't received that way!) asked once again to see the credential, this was an item which was pointed out to me by the first officer on the previous day as an excellent idea for each crew member assigned to fly with an ffdo, to see the 'credential.' that request prompted a response of 'that is it, I can't work like this, I'll be right back.' we met briefly with one of denver's flight mgrs who asked how the situation could be resolved. My take was that we could work this out, that there was indeed some poorly timed remarks, but in the interest of moving the trip, we'd continue. The flight manager asked the first officer if he wanted off of the trip in sfo and he stated that he felt that would be best. As we left for sfo, the flight manager called via radio and said that reserves might be tight in sfo. I was fully prepared to continue the identify with the first officer and after leveloff at cruise, asked if we could talk a bit to see if a message to crew scheduling might be sent calling off the planned crew swap in sfo. As perfect timing would have it, the remainder of the flight was spent dealing with a passenger medical situation. This event and the flight were handled safely and professionally with the first officer doing most of the typing and communicating, but unfortunately inhibited further discussion of our working relationship. Upon deplaning at sfo, an sfo flight manager met us and we proceeded to the flight office where, after a short discussion, I was told I was being removed from the 2 remaining legs of the trip. I feel that while removing me was a short term solution aiming to avoid any chance of any CRM related controversy or incident, it had nothing whatever to do with the ffdo program, rather a short term solution to the less than cheery cockpit mood that existed. I was assigned other flying to make up the flight time lost. If this results in more published information about the program, my quest for knowledge will have been served. Specifically, capts and fos need to know procedures about where and when the weapon is to be stored in the locked box, when and where it may be holstered, what circumstances would provoke use of the weapon, where the weapon is to be when: the ffdo leaves the cockpit, when the other pilot(south) leave the cockpit, when a flight attendant enters the cockpit, layover andhotel policy. Also, what items should be covered during the mandatory preflight security briefing. What do the flight attendants know about the ffdo program? Is it enough just to tell them that the first officer or captain is ffdo qualified? The 4 short bullets in the fom don't tell us much. I reiterate that at no time did I prevent or otherwise interfere with the first officer's ffdo duties. I only stated my lack of comfort with the situation as it exists. We need more specific information!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 CAPT RPTS HIS DISCOMFORT WITH BEING CREWED WITH A FEDERAL FLT DECK OFFICER (FFDO). THE CREW RELATIONSHIP DETERIORATES UNTIL THE CAPT IS REMOVED FROM THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP SEQUENCE.

Narrative: I SUBMIT THIS RPT SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING CREW KNOWLEDGE AND INTER-COCKPIT WORKING RELATIONS NOW THAT THE FFDO PROGRAM IS REALITY. I GREETED MY ASSIGNED FO ABOUT XA30 PRIOR TO THE FIRST LEG OF THE IDENT AT SFO OPS. THE FIRST MEETING WAS CORDIAL AND FLT PLANNING WAS UNEVENTFUL, INCLUDING SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT PRIOR EXPERIENCE, PERSONAL ISSUES SUCH AS COMMUTING, FAMILY, ETC. ABOUT 45-50 MINS PRIOR TO DEP TIME, AS MY FO AND I APCHED THE ACFT (WITH PRE-BOARDING IN PROGRESS -- PAX ON THE JETWAY) THE FO ASKED ME IF I HAD FLOWN WITH AN FFDO. MY REPLY WAS THAT I HAD NOT, BUT I HAD MANY QUESTIONS UNANSWERED REGARDING THE PROGRAM AND MY RESPONSIBILITY AS CAPT AND THAT UNTIL MY QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED, I WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE PROGRAM. I WAS A BIT ANNOYED THAT THE FO HAD NOT BROACHED THE SUBJECT EARLIER AND IN A LESS 'OPEN' LOCATION. THE FO THEN SAID THAT THIS WAS HIS FIRST TRIP SINCE QUALIFICATION AS AN FFDO. WE DISCUSSED THE PROGRAM BRIEFLY AND I ASKED THE FO IF, DUE TO THE TIME AND LOCATION, WE COULD DISCUSS THE SOP INFLT. THE FO AGREED AND FURTHER OFFERED TO VOLUNTARILY KEEP THE WEAPON IN THE LOCKED BOX FOR THE SHORT LEG TO DEN. I DID NOT ORDER OR DEMAND THAT THE FFDO DUTIES BE CURTAILED AT ANY TIME. DURING THE CRUISE PORTION OF THE LEG, WE DISCUSSED THE FFDO SOP'S AND I REITERATED MY FRUSTRATION WITH THE LACK OF INFO IN OUR OPS MANUAL AND DIRECTION FOR THE CAPT AND CREW. WITH THE LAYOVER IN THE FO'S HOME TOWN, I ASKED THE FO TO CONSIDER LEAVING THE WEAPON AT HOME FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP, SINCE I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE. THE ANSWER WAS NONCOMMITTAL. DAY #2 BEGAN EARLY MORNING IN DEN. I ASKED THE FO DURING OUR PREFLT PLANNING IF THE GUN WAS PRESENT AND AFTER THE ANSWER WAS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, I (JOKINGLY TO ME, IT CERTAINLY WASN'T RECEIVED THAT WAY!) ASKED ONCE AGAIN TO SEE THE CREDENTIAL, THIS WAS AN ITEM WHICH WAS POINTED OUT TO ME BY THE FO ON THE PREVIOUS DAY AS AN EXCELLENT IDEA FOR EACH CREW MEMBER ASSIGNED TO FLY WITH AN FFDO, TO SEE THE 'CREDENTIAL.' THAT REQUEST PROMPTED A RESPONSE OF 'THAT IS IT, I CAN'T WORK LIKE THIS, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK.' WE MET BRIEFLY WITH ONE OF DENVER'S FLT MGRS WHO ASKED HOW THE SIT COULD BE RESOLVED. MY TAKE WAS THAT WE COULD WORK THIS OUT, THAT THERE WAS INDEED SOME POORLY TIMED REMARKS, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF MOVING THE TRIP, WE'D CONTINUE. THE FLT MGR ASKED THE FO IF HE WANTED OFF OF THE TRIP IN SFO AND HE STATED THAT HE FELT THAT WOULD BE BEST. AS WE LEFT FOR SFO, THE FLT MGR CALLED VIA RADIO AND SAID THAT RESERVES MIGHT BE TIGHT IN SFO. I WAS FULLY PREPARED TO CONTINUE THE IDENT WITH THE FO AND AFTER LEVELOFF AT CRUISE, ASKED IF WE COULD TALK A BIT TO SEE IF A MESSAGE TO CREW SCHEDULING MIGHT BE SENT CALLING OFF THE PLANNED CREW SWAP IN SFO. AS PERFECT TIMING WOULD HAVE IT, THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS SPENT DEALING WITH A PAX MEDICAL SIT. THIS EVENT AND THE FLT WERE HANDLED SAFELY AND PROFESSIONALLY WITH THE FO DOING MOST OF THE TYPING AND COMMUNICATING, BUT UNFORTUNATELY INHIBITED FURTHER DISCUSSION OF OUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP. UPON DEPLANING AT SFO, AN SFO FLT MGR MET US AND WE PROCEEDED TO THE FLT OFFICE WHERE, AFTER A SHORT DISCUSSION, I WAS TOLD I WAS BEING REMOVED FROM THE 2 REMAINING LEGS OF THE TRIP. I FEEL THAT WHILE REMOVING ME WAS A SHORT TERM SOLUTION AIMING TO AVOID ANY CHANCE OF ANY CRM RELATED CONTROVERSY OR INCIDENT, IT HAD NOTHING WHATEVER TO DO WITH THE FFDO PROGRAM, RATHER A SHORT TERM SOLUTION TO THE LESS THAN CHEERY COCKPIT MOOD THAT EXISTED. I WAS ASSIGNED OTHER FLYING TO MAKE UP THE FLT TIME LOST. IF THIS RESULTS IN MORE PUBLISHED INFO ABOUT THE PROGRAM, MY QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE WILL HAVE BEEN SERVED. SPECIFICALLY, CAPTS AND FOS NEED TO KNOW PROCS ABOUT WHERE AND WHEN THE WEAPON IS TO BE STORED IN THE LOCKED BOX, WHEN AND WHERE IT MAY BE HOLSTERED, WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD PROVOKE USE OF THE WEAPON, WHERE THE WEAPON IS TO BE WHEN: THE FFDO LEAVES THE COCKPIT, WHEN THE OTHER PLT(S) LEAVE THE COCKPIT, WHEN A FLT ATTENDANT ENTERS THE COCKPIT, LAYOVER ANDHOTEL POLICY. ALSO, WHAT ITEMS SHOULD BE COVERED DURING THE MANDATORY PREFLT SECURITY BRIEFING. WHAT DO THE FLT ATTENDANTS KNOW ABOUT THE FFDO PROGRAM? IS IT ENOUGH JUST TO TELL THEM THAT THE FO OR CAPT IS FFDO QUALIFIED? THE 4 SHORT BULLETS IN THE FOM DON'T TELL US MUCH. I REITERATE THAT AT NO TIME DID I PREVENT OR OTHERWISE INTERFERE WITH THE FO'S FFDO DUTIES. I ONLY STATED MY LACK OF COMFORT WITH THE SIT AS IT EXISTS. WE NEED MORE SPECIFIC INFO!

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.