Reporter indicates his company has local policy to use cold glcol sprayed with garden hose to remove...

Attributes
ACN	198247
Time
Date	199201
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	198247
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

There has been started a ndw procedure to deice/anti-ice medium large transport series aircraft by local policy at XXX airlines. This is in reference to the problem medium large transport aircraft have with ice forming on the upper wings and breaking off on takeoff and being ingested into the engines. The local policy is to use unheated mixture of gycol in a 2.5 gallon garden sprayer to apply to the wing surfaces. This procedure does not have the heat to remove and melt ice formed on the wing surface so does not remove ice from the wing surface if present. This policy was started to save gycol that is 'wasted' on aircraft. I have not been personally involved with this and have not used this procedure but see the problem that this does present for future operations. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Mechanic reporter indicates this policy is strictly a local policy at his maintenance station made by local management. It is his declaration that the cold glycol cannot do the job sprayed from a garden hose. Reporter feels company had gone too far in attempting to save money and not waste gycol.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR INDICATES HIS COMPANY HAS LCL POLICY TO USE COLD GLCOL SPRAYED WITH GARDEN HOSE TO REMOVE SHEEN TYPE ICE THAT FORMS ON WING TOPS FROM COLD FUEL TANKS.

Narrative: THERE HAS BEEN STARTED A NDW PROC TO DEICE/ANTI-ICE MLG SERIES ACFT BY LCL POLICY AT XXX AIRLINES. THIS IS IN REF TO THE PROBLEM MLG ACFT HAVE WITH ICE FORMING ON THE UPPER WINGS AND BREAKING OFF ON TKOF AND BEING INGESTED INTO THE ENGS. THE LCL POLICY IS TO USE UNHEATED MIXTURE OF GYCOL IN A 2.5 GALLON GARDEN SPRAYER TO APPLY TO THE WING SURFACES. THIS PROC DOES NOT HAVE THE HEAT TO REMOVE AND MELT ICE FORMED ON THE WING SURFACE SO DOES NOT REMOVE ICE FROM THE WING SURFACE IF PRESENT. THIS POLICY WAS STARTED TO SAVE GYCOL THAT IS 'WASTED' ON ACFT. I HAVE NOT BEEN PERSONALLY INVOLVED WITH THIS AND HAVE NOT USED THIS PROC BUT SEE THE PROBLEM THAT THIS DOES PRESENT FOR FUTURE OPS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. MECH RPTR INDICATES THIS POLICY IS STRICTLY A LCL POLICY AT HIS MAINT STATION MADE BY LCL MGMNT. IT IS HIS DECLARATION THAT THE COLD GLYCOL CANNOT DO THE JOB SPRAYED FROM A GARDEN HOSE. RPTR FEELS COMPANY HAD GONE TOO FAR IN ATTEMPTING TO SAVE MONEY AND NOT WASTE GYCOL.

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.

Reporter indicates his company has local policy to use cold glcol sprayed with garden hose to remove sheen type ice that forms on wing tops from cold fuel tanks.