FLC OF AN MDT FAILED TO PERFORM PREFLT WALKAROUND INSPECTION RESULTING IN THE OMISSION BEING OBSERVED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR.

Narrative

WE HAD FLOWN MIA-MTH; A SMALL UNCTLED ARPT IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. MY FO WAS RELATIVELY NEW AND DID NOT HAVE AS MUCH EXPERIENCE AS MOST OF THE OTHERS I FLY WITH. BEFORE DEP BACK TO MIA; AN FAA INSPECTOR INTRODUCED HIMSELF AND SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO RIDE IN THE CABIN TO DO THE FLT ATTENDANT A CABIN LINE CHK. UPON ARR IN MIA HE ASKED ME WHO; IF ANYONE; DID A POSTFLT OR PREFLT WALKAROUND THE ACFT IN MARATHON. SINCE THIS IS USUALLY THE FO'S DUTY; I LOOKED AT HIM TO SEE IF HE HAD DONE THE WALKAROUND. HE HAD NOT. THE FAA INSPECTOR SAID THANK YOU AND HANDED ME HIS CARD; THEN LEFT. OOPS! IN DISCUSSING THIS WITH MY FO; I EXPLAINED TO HIM THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING A PROPER PRE AND POSTFLT INSPECTION FOR EACH FLT. BECAUSE HE WAS NEW; AND FACED WITH A QUICK TURN; AND THE PAPERWORK FOR PERFORMANCE; WT AND BAL CALCULATION; OBTAINING A CLRNC FROM UNCTLED FIELD; MONITORING UNICOM FREQ; RUNNING CHKLISTS; ETC; I GUESS THE WALKAROUND WAS LOW ON HIS PRIORITY LIST. HIS PLATE WAS FULL; BUT I ASSUMED (MY MISTAKE!) THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF; LIKE A MORE EXPERIENCED FO WOULD HAVE DONE. IT DIDN'T DAWN ON ME AT THE TIME THAT I COULD HAVE EASILY LIGHTENED HIS LOAD A BIT BY DOING THE WALKAROUND MYSELF. WE ARE CREATURES OF HABIT; AND OFTEN GET IN A ROUTINE THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS COVER ALL OF OUR BASES. I AM ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE TO SEE THAT EVERYTHING GETS DONE PROPERLY. I DROPPED THE BALL ON THIS ONE. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL GET IN THE HABIT OF TAKING JUST A FEW EXTRA MINS WHEN I DSND THE STAIRWAY AFTER EACH FLT TO DO THE POSTFLT WALKAROUND MYSELF. IT DOESN'T PAY TO GET IN A HURRY.