Commuter flight crew decides no deice needed. FAA on ramp. Reporter precautionary.

Attributes
ACN	193635
Time
Date	199111
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	observation : air carrier inspector
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On our descent and landing in minneapolis we encountered light icing and a snowstorm. We landed without incident and the ice we picked up came off with the deice boots. We work for a very small commuter and our ground equipment is not very good. Also, we are usually understaffed. After we landed, snow was still accumulating, but our leading edges were still clean. The station was to complete a quick turnaround, and as the passenger were starting to load, I cleared the #2 engine and we started it without an agent on the ramp. We completed the loading and taxied for takeoff. There was not sufficient amounts of snow or ice on the aircraft and we determined it was more than safe for takeoff. I'm sending this in not because I felt there was ever a safety violation, but that someone told us that the FAA were on the ramp watching us. In this age of their 'police actions' I learned that you must always perform tasks just so they don't get an opportunity to second guess your judgement. I'm not sure if they felt we should have deiced or what, but if they were really concerned or felt that there was an unsafe condition, why would they let us taxi out. At least they could have talked to the captain and expressed their concern, not act as 'secret police.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER FLC DECIDES NO DEICE NEEDED. FAA ON RAMP. RPTR PRECAUTIONARY.

Narrative: ON OUR DSCNT AND LNDG IN MINNEAPOLIS WE ENCOUNTERED LIGHT ICING AND A SNOWSTORM. WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE ICE WE PICKED UP CAME OFF WITH THE DEICE BOOTS. WE WORK FOR A VERY SMALL COMMUTER AND OUR GND EQUIP IS NOT VERY GOOD. ALSO, WE ARE USUALLY UNDERSTAFFED. AFTER WE LANDED, SNOW WAS STILL ACCUMULATING, BUT OUR LEADING EDGES WERE STILL CLEAN. THE STATION WAS TO COMPLETE A QUICK TURNAROUND, AND AS THE PAX WERE STARTING TO LOAD, I CLRED THE #2 ENG AND WE STARTED IT WITHOUT AN AGENT ON THE RAMP. WE COMPLETED THE LOADING AND TAXIED FOR TKOF. THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT AMOUNTS OF SNOW OR ICE ON THE ACFT AND WE DETERMINED IT WAS MORE THAN SAFE FOR TKOF. I'M SENDING THIS IN NOT BECAUSE I FELT THERE WAS EVER A SAFETY VIOLATION, BUT THAT SOMEONE TOLD US THAT THE FAA WERE ON THE RAMP WATCHING US. IN THIS AGE OF THEIR 'POLICE ACTIONS' I LEARNED THAT YOU MUST ALWAYS PERFORM TASKS JUST SO THEY DON'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SECOND GUESS YOUR JUDGEMENT. I'M NOT SURE IF THEY FELT WE SHOULD HAVE DEICED OR WHAT, BUT IF THEY WERE REALLY CONCERNED OR FELT THAT THERE WAS AN UNSAFE CONDITION, WHY WOULD THEY LET US TAXI OUT. AT LEAST THEY COULD HAVE TALKED TO THE CAPT AND EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN, NOT ACT AS 'SECRET POLICE.'

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.