Narrative:

Upon landing in kansas city, F/a notified captain of passenger seat that would not lock in up position. Captain notified maintenance by radio to meet the a/C. After passengers deplaned captain left cockpit to determine problem and talk to maintenance. I, (first officer) went to restroom, and upon my return found an unidentified man in the cockpit. When I challenged the person he presented a FAA identify briefly. At that time captain returned to cockpit and challenged the intrusion with same results. FAA inspector asked about maintenance problems and captain informed him the seat was going to be repaired. FAA notified captain he was writing up captain for failure to report in logbook. In by opinion the captain assessed the problem, returned to cockpit to writeup problem to find FAA inspector hindering his duties, captain then wrote problem in the book. The mechanic repaired seat, the mechanic entered his notation in book. The FAA inspection offered no protocol or asked for permission to the cockpit from the captain or first officer and should have been removed from the cockpit by security until properly identified. The FAA inspectors' complaint was the logbook entry by the captain was not entered in a timely fashion when the entire event covered only 2 or 3 minutes. The aircraft was not dispatched, repaired, or mechanic entry written in logbook until after the captain entered the problem in the logbook. The general attitude of the inspector was rules and unprofessional to say the least is a business where all of our goals are the same, i.e., the safest form of public transportation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ABOUT WHEN A PASSENGER SEAT SHOULD BE WRITTEN UP IN ACFT LOG.

Narrative: UPON LANDING IN KANSAS CITY, F/A NOTIFIED CAPT OF PAX SEAT THAT WOULD NOT LOCK IN UP POSITION. CAPT NOTIFIED MAINT BY RADIO TO MEET THE A/C. AFTER PASSENGERS DEPLANED CAPT LEFT COCKPIT TO DETERMINE PROBLEM AND TALK TO MAINT. I, (F/O) WENT TO RESTROOM, AND UPON MY RETURN FOUND AN UNIDENTIFIED MAN IN THE COCKPIT. WHEN I CHALLENGED THE PERSON HE PRESENTED A FAA IDENT BRIEFLY. AT THAT TIME CAPT RETURNED TO COCKPIT AND CHALLENGED THE INTRUSION WITH SAME RESULTS. FAA INSPECTOR ASKED ABOUT MAINT PROBLEMS AND CAPT INFORMED HIM THE SEAT WAS GOING TO BE REPAIRED. FAA NOTIFIED CAPT HE WAS WRITING UP CAPT FOR FAILURE TO REPORT IN LOGBOOK. IN BY OPINION THE CAPT ASSESSED THE PROBLEM, RETURNED TO COCKPIT TO WRITEUP PROBLEM TO FIND FAA INSPECTOR HINDERING HIS DUTIES, CAPT THEN WROTE PROBLEM IN THE BOOK. THE MECHANIC REPAIRED SEAT, THE MECHANIC ENTERED HIS NOTATION IN BOOK. THE FAA INSPECTION OFFERED NO PROTOCOL OR ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO THE COCKPIT FROM THE CAPT OR F/O AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE COCKPIT BY SECURITY UNTIL PROPERLY IDENTIFIED. THE FAA INSPECTORS' COMPLAINT WAS THE LOGBOOK ENTRY BY THE CAPT WAS NOT ENTERED IN A TIMELY FASHION WHEN THE ENTIRE EVENT COVERED ONLY 2 OR 3 MINUTES. THE ACFT WAS NOT DISPATCHED, REPAIRED, OR MECHANIC ENTRY WRITTEN IN LOGBOOK UNTIL AFTER THE CAPT ENTERED THE PROBLEM IN THE LOGBOOK. THE GENERAL ATTITUDE OF THE INSPECTOR WAS RULES AND UNPROFESSIONAL TO SAY THE LEAST IS A BUSINESS WHERE ALL OF OUR GOALS ARE THE SAME, I.E., THE SAFEST FORM OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.