Narrative:

Upon our arrival at the aircraft there was a thin layer of frost (less than 1/8 inch) covering the aircraft. While doing my exterior preflight I checked the frost for depth and adherence. The ground crew had already positioned a deicing truck by the tail of the aircraft. We completed our preflight checks and checklists. The ground crew deiced our wings, tail and #2 engine advising us of the time and type fluid used. We pushed back and began our taxi. Once at the end of the runway the lead flight attendant advised us that the cabin was secure for takeoff but the girl in the back expressed concern because some frost was still on the cabin windows. We then pulled to the side of the taxiway to consult our manual regarding frost on cabin windows and how it relates to deicing. I advised the captain that I could not do the deice inspection from the cabin due to the windows being partially obscured by the light frost layer still adhering to the cabin windows. The captain then called the station and spoke directly with the individual who deiced us. He told us all wing and tail surfaces were sprayed and clear of any and all frost. There was no frost on any control surfaces. Since the frost layer was so thin it was already dissipating the captain elected to depart pdx. While taking the runway and applying takeoff thrust the frost turned to water and streamed off all the cabin windows. Our situation brought to light that our company procedures as well as the far's do not seem clear on this point. All the cockpit windows were clear but how does a thin obscuring layer of frost on cabin windows affect the safety of flight? Supplemental information from acn 231999. Captain was unaware that any such inspection was now required by far's, said it was unnecessary and directed so to stay in the cockpit. I objected to this at which the captain called me 'paranoid'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT TOOK OFF AFTER WINGS AND TAIL WERE DEICED WITHOUT TACTILE INSPECTION OF SURFACES.

Narrative: UPON OUR ARR AT THE ACFT THERE WAS A THIN LAYER OF FROST (LESS THAN 1/8 INCH) COVERING THE ACFT. WHILE DOING MY EXTERIOR PREFLT I CHKED THE FROST FOR DEPTH AND ADHERENCE. THE GND CREW HAD ALREADY POSITIONED A DEICING TRUCK BY THE TAIL OF THE ACFT. WE COMPLETED OUR PREFLT CHKS AND CHKLISTS. THE GND CREW DEICED OUR WINGS, TAIL AND #2 ENG ADVISING US OF THE TIME AND TYPE FLUID USED. WE PUSHED BACK AND BEGAN OUR TAXI. ONCE AT THE END OF THE RWY THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED US THAT THE CABIN WAS SECURE FOR TKOF BUT THE GIRL IN THE BACK EXPRESSED CONCERN BECAUSE SOME FROST WAS STILL ON THE CABIN WINDOWS. WE THEN PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE TXWY TO CONSULT OUR MANUAL REGARDING FROST ON CABIN WINDOWS AND HOW IT RELATES TO DEICING. I ADVISED THE CAPT THAT I COULD NOT DO THE DEICE INSPECTION FROM THE CABIN DUE TO THE WINDOWS BEING PARTIALLY OBSCURED BY THE LIGHT FROST LAYER STILL ADHERING TO THE CABIN WINDOWS. THE CAPT THEN CALLED THE STATION AND SPOKE DIRECTLY WITH THE INDIVIDUAL WHO DEICED US. HE TOLD US ALL WING AND TAIL SURFACES WERE SPRAYED AND CLR OF ANY AND ALL FROST. THERE WAS NO FROST ON ANY CTL SURFACES. SINCE THE FROST LAYER WAS SO THIN IT WAS ALREADY DISSIPATING THE CAPT ELECTED TO DEPART PDX. WHILE TAKING THE RWY AND APPLYING TKOF THRUST THE FROST TURNED TO WATER AND STREAMED OFF ALL THE CABIN WINDOWS. OUR SIT BROUGHT TO LIGHT THAT OUR COMPANY PROCS AS WELL AS THE FAR'S DO NOT SEEM CLR ON THIS POINT. ALL THE COCKPIT WINDOWS WERE CLR BUT HOW DOES A THIN OBSCURING LAYER OF FROST ON CABIN WINDOWS AFFECT THE SAFETY OF FLT? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 231999. CAPT WAS UNAWARE THAT ANY SUCH INSPECTION WAS NOW REQUIRED BY FAR'S, SAID IT WAS UNNECESSARY AND DIRECTED SO TO STAY IN THE COCKPIT. I OBJECTED TO THIS AT WHICH THE CAPT CALLED ME 'PARANOID'.

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.