Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Distraction
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors; Aircraft
Had FAA inspector riding in our jump seat. Aircraft had aft flight attendant PA handset written up; and was non CAT II authorized. While in the descent at around 9;000 feet got an ACARS message asking if we could do a CAT II approach so maintenance could sign off aircraft. Told FO to simply ignore the message as we didn't have time to properly brief and set up for a CAT II approach as we were on a downwind to land and would be on the ground before proper briefing would have been completed. Why is dispatch sending messages like that while we are in a high workload environment?No ACARS communication below 10;000 feet in sterile; no using ACARS for questions or for information that is not pertinent to the flight at hand.
CRJ-900 Captain was asked via ACARS below 9;000 feet; to perform a CAT II fly back with an FAA inspector on the jump seat. He chose not to comply or respond to the request.