Narrative:

FAA inspector, aviation safety inspector, mia, asked for jumpseat on flight abcd to fll. After introducing himself to me, he asked to check my licenses and medical. At that time I smelled alcohol on his breath. I became uncomfortable with his presence in my cockpit. I asked my first officer to verify my suspicions, but he could not. The purser did detect the smell of alcohol also. I called the company flight office to air my concerns. Assistant chief pilot met me at the gate and removed mr X from the aircraft. He later told me that he thought the gentleman smelled of alcohol as well. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the first officer had not detected any odor as he was suffering from a mild case of hay fever. The PIC had asked the flight attendant if she noticed anything strange about the aircraft safety inspector and the reply was, '...nothing except that he smelled like he had just come out of the bar....' reporter had been with the union safety office and was holding the inspector to high standards since flight crews are expected and required to report for their jobs in a sober condition. In addition, he did not want to be checked and appraised by an inspector who had been drinking, placing his pilot's job in jeopardy. He received a 'well done' later from the operations office. No repercussions from the inspector who had apologized as he got off the flight. Company notified him that for the rest of that 24 hour period he could only get on a company flight if he bought a ticket. The inspector had not planned on jumpseating but did not want to ride in the back of a full aircraft so asked for the jumpseat. Once there, he decided he'd do a flight check.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 PIC RPT OF A SUSPECT ACI WHO HAD ALCOHOL ON HIS BREATH DURING THE COCKPIT INTRO AND AIRMAN DOCUMENTATION CHK AT IAD.

Narrative: FAA INSPECTOR, AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR, MIA, ASKED FOR JUMPSEAT ON FLT ABCD TO FLL. AFTER INTRODUCING HIMSELF TO ME, HE ASKED TO CHK MY LICENSES AND MEDICAL. AT THAT TIME I SMELLED ALCOHOL ON HIS BREATH. I BECAME UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HIS PRESENCE IN MY COCKPIT. I ASKED MY FO TO VERIFY MY SUSPICIONS, BUT HE COULD NOT. THE PURSER DID DETECT THE SMELL OF ALCOHOL ALSO. I CALLED THE COMPANY FLT OFFICE TO AIR MY CONCERNS. ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT MET ME AT THE GATE AND REMOVED MR X FROM THE ACFT. HE LATER TOLD ME THAT HE THOUGHT THE GENTLEMAN SMELLED OF ALCOHOL AS WELL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FO HAD NOT DETECTED ANY ODOR AS HE WAS SUFFERING FROM A MILD CASE OF HAY FEVER. THE PIC HAD ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT IF SHE NOTICED ANYTHING STRANGE ABOUT THE ACFT SAFETY INSPECTOR AND THE REPLY WAS, '...NOTHING EXCEPT THAT HE SMELLED LIKE HE HAD JUST COME OUT OF THE BAR....' RPTR HAD BEEN WITH THE UNION SAFETY OFFICE AND WAS HOLDING THE INSPECTOR TO HIGH STANDARDS SINCE FLT CREWS ARE EXPECTED AND REQUIRED TO RPT FOR THEIR JOBS IN A SOBER CONDITION. IN ADDITION, HE DID NOT WANT TO BE CHKED AND APPRAISED BY AN INSPECTOR WHO HAD BEEN DRINKING, PLACING HIS PLT'S JOB IN JEOPARDY. HE RECEIVED A 'WELL DONE' LATER FROM THE OPS OFFICE. NO REPERCUSSIONS FROM THE INSPECTOR WHO HAD APOLOGIZED AS HE GOT OFF THE FLT. COMPANY NOTIFIED HIM THAT FOR THE REST OF THAT 24 HR PERIOD HE COULD ONLY GET ON A COMPANY FLT IF HE BOUGHT A TICKET. THE INSPECTOR HAD NOT PLANNED ON JUMPSEATING BUT DID NOT WANT TO RIDE IN THE BACK OF A FULL ACFT SO ASKED FOR THE JUMPSEAT. ONCE THERE, HE DECIDED HE'D DO A FLT CHK.

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.