Narrative:

After pushback we were delayed getting away from the ramp because dtw's duty runway, 3L, was reported as having 1' of wet snow (greater than our limitations). The snow plows were finishing up on runway 3R. As we waited for runway 3R to open, the snow fell fast and accumulated rapidly on our wings. By the time that runway 3R was open we needed to get washed off with the deicing fluid again. After deicing we were cleared out around an inbound jet to our ramp. The precipitation had about stopped, but the wind was blowing 070/20 KTS so taxiing was challenging over the slick txwys. Arriving near the approach end of runway 3R there was an large transport taking off. Shortly thereafter several landing aircraft reported 1' of snow on the runway. Then an medium large transport attempted a takeoff and aborted (no reason given). We requested that a ground veh measure and report the condition on runway 3R. The metropolitan veh reported 1/2' wet snow, so the medium large transport in front of us took off, and we followed shortly after finding the wind gusty as we rotated and lifted off. After raising the ldg gear, we noted a tail skid light still on. After checking our abnormal procedures, we recycled the gear and the light went out just as advertised through 16000'. After finishing a public announcement to explain to passengers and cabin crew the unusual noises and the effects of snow and ice on micro-switches, a leading edge flap light came on. Since our limitation on extending flaps is 20000', we requested from ATC and were granted a level off at FL200. After checking abnormal procedures, we determined that the cause of the leading edge flap light was due to the wing anti-ice system being in use (not an extendable flap or change in airfoil). Therefore we requested and were granted by ATC a climb to cruise altitude, which got us above the icing conditions. As we departed FL200, center was curious as to our situation. When learning that our leading edge flap light was still on the ATC controller said that he would 'note it on our flight plan.' later when climbing above icing conditions and securing the wing anti-ice, the light went out. But, of course, we were now talking to a different controller and did not want to clutter up the air waves with a lengthy explanation of our solved abnormal procedure.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER A DELAYED DEP AND TKOF BECAUSE OF RWY CLEARING SNOW AND SLUSH, MLG HAD A TAIL SKID LIGHT AND A LEADING EDGE FLAP LIGHT. FLT CREW MANAGED TO EXTINGUISH BOTH LIGHTS WITH NORMAL PROCS.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK WE WERE DELAYED GETTING AWAY FROM THE RAMP BECAUSE DTW'S DUTY RWY, 3L, WAS RPTED AS HAVING 1' OF WET SNOW (GREATER THAN OUR LIMITATIONS). THE SNOW PLOWS WERE FINISHING UP ON RWY 3R. AS WE WAITED FOR RWY 3R TO OPEN, THE SNOW FELL FAST AND ACCUMULATED RAPIDLY ON OUR WINGS. BY THE TIME THAT RWY 3R WAS OPEN WE NEEDED TO GET WASHED OFF WITH THE DEICING FLUID AGAIN. AFTER DEICING WE WERE CLRED OUT AROUND AN INBND JET TO OUR RAMP. THE PRECIPITATION HAD ABOUT STOPPED, BUT THE WIND WAS BLOWING 070/20 KTS SO TAXIING WAS CHALLENGING OVER THE SLICK TXWYS. ARRIVING NEAR THE APCH END OF RWY 3R THERE WAS AN LGT TAKING OFF. SHORTLY THEREAFTER SEVERAL LNDG ACFT RPTED 1' OF SNOW ON THE RWY. THEN AN MLG ATTEMPTED A TKOF AND ABORTED (NO REASON GIVEN). WE REQUESTED THAT A GND VEH MEASURE AND RPT THE CONDITION ON RWY 3R. THE METRO VEH RPTED 1/2' WET SNOW, SO THE MLG IN FRONT OF US TOOK OFF, AND WE FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER FINDING THE WIND GUSTY AS WE ROTATED AND LIFTED OFF. AFTER RAISING THE LDG GEAR, WE NOTED A TAIL SKID LIGHT STILL ON. AFTER CHKING OUR ABNORMAL PROCS, WE RECYCLED THE GEAR AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT JUST AS ADVERTISED THROUGH 16000'. AFTER FINISHING A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT TO EXPLAIN TO PAXS AND CABIN CREW THE UNUSUAL NOISES AND THE EFFECTS OF SNOW AND ICE ON MICRO-SWITCHES, A LEADING EDGE FLAP LIGHT CAME ON. SINCE OUR LIMITATION ON EXTENDING FLAPS IS 20000', WE REQUESTED FROM ATC AND WERE GRANTED A LEVEL OFF AT FL200. AFTER CHKING ABNORMAL PROCS, WE DETERMINED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE LEADING EDGE FLAP LIGHT WAS DUE TO THE WING ANTI-ICE SYS BEING IN USE (NOT AN EXTENDABLE FLAP OR CHANGE IN AIRFOIL). THEREFORE WE REQUESTED AND WERE GRANTED BY ATC A CLB TO CRUISE ALT, WHICH GOT US ABOVE THE ICING CONDITIONS. AS WE DEPARTED FL200, CTR WAS CURIOUS AS TO OUR SITUATION. WHEN LEARNING THAT OUR LEADING EDGE FLAP LIGHT WAS STILL ON THE ATC CTLR SAID THAT HE WOULD 'NOTE IT ON OUR FLT PLAN.' LATER WHEN CLBING ABOVE ICING CONDITIONS AND SECURING THE WING ANTI-ICE, THE LIGHT WENT OUT. BUT, OF COURSE, WE WERE NOW TALKING TO A DIFFERENT CTLR AND DID NOT WANT TO CLUTTER UP THE AIR WAVES WITH A LENGTHY EXPLANATION OF OUR SOLVED ABNORMAL PROC.

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.