Narrative:

We were cleared to taxiway for de-icing. At the #1 position, all engines were shut down and normal operating procedures and checklists were accomplished. No interphone ground contact was established due to lightning in the immediate vicinity. Upon completion of de-icing the guideman gave us the engine start signal and once complete, the taxi forward and customary departure salute. It is company policy to accept the de-icing crew's inspection when de-icing is accomplished on an outbnd taxiway. En route to the runway a F/a opened the cockpit door and advised me that she and several passenger believed the left wing had not been de-iced. I returned to the ramp area and requested maintenance personnel to re-inspect the aircraft for ice. After shut down I went back to personally view the left wing. I was incensed to find the left wing encrusted with approximately 1/2' of rime ice. I returned to the gate and contacted all personnel necessary to resolve this unsafe practice! While en route to the gate I contacted all outbnd aircraft on ramp frequencys and advised them of my problem and suggested they personally inspect their aircraft. In addition, I contacted maintenance and the ramp manager and insisted they relieve and replace the de-icing crew that was responsible. At the gate I contact company dispatch, the union base vice chairman and talked face to face with the maintenance manager. The de-icing inspection must be returned to the pilot! That means de-icing must be accomplished at the gate where the pilot has the opportunity to perform the final inspection! An adequate inspection cannot be accomplished from within the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER DEPARTING THE DE-ICING AREA THE PIC WAS INFORMED BY THE CABIN ATTENDANT THAT SHE AND SEVERAL PASSENGERS DID NOT THINK THE LEFT WING HAD BEEN DEICED. RETURNED TO GATE.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO TXWY FOR DE-ICING. AT THE #1 POS, ALL ENGS WERE SHUT DOWN AND NORMAL OPERATING PROCS AND CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. NO INTERPHONE GND CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED DUE TO LIGHTNING IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY. UPON COMPLETION OF DE-ICING THE GUIDEMAN GAVE US THE ENG START SIGNAL AND ONCE COMPLETE, THE TAXI FORWARD AND CUSTOMARY DEP SALUTE. IT IS COMPANY POLICY TO ACCEPT THE DE-ICING CREW'S INSPECTION WHEN DE-ICING IS ACCOMPLISHED ON AN OUTBND TXWY. ENRTE TO THE RWY A F/A OPENED THE COCKPIT DOOR AND ADVISED ME THAT SHE AND SEVERAL PAX BELIEVED THE LEFT WING HAD NOT BEEN DE-ICED. I RETURNED TO THE RAMP AREA AND REQUESTED MAINT PERSONNEL TO RE-INSPECT THE ACFT FOR ICE. AFTER SHUT DOWN I WENT BACK TO PERSONALLY VIEW THE LEFT WING. I WAS INCENSED TO FIND THE LEFT WING ENCRUSTED WITH APPROX 1/2' OF RIME ICE. I RETURNED TO THE GATE AND CONTACTED ALL PERSONNEL NECESSARY TO RESOLVE THIS UNSAFE PRACTICE! WHILE ENRTE TO THE GATE I CONTACTED ALL OUTBND ACFT ON RAMP FREQS AND ADVISED THEM OF MY PROB AND SUGGESTED THEY PERSONALLY INSPECT THEIR ACFT. IN ADDITION, I CONTACTED MAINT AND THE RAMP MGR AND INSISTED THEY RELIEVE AND REPLACE THE DE-ICING CREW THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE. AT THE GATE I CONTACT COMPANY DISPATCH, THE UNION BASE VICE CHAIRMAN AND TALKED FACE TO FACE WITH THE MAINT MGR. THE DE-ICING INSPECTION MUST BE RETURNED TO THE PLT! THAT MEANS DE-ICING MUST BE ACCOMPLISHED AT THE GATE WHERE THE PLT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM THE FINAL INSPECTION! AN ADEQUATE INSPECTION CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED FROM WITHIN THE ACFT.

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.