Narrative:

On dec/xx/92, I was a passenger from gfk to msp. Upon boarding, I noted that the aircraft had a couple of inches of snow cover, particularly on the wings. I assumed that the aircraft would be deiced or at least the snow swept from the wings prior to engine start so that the crew could do their inspection of the condition of the wings prior to taxi. That did not happen. When it became obvious to me that we were preparing to taxi out with the surfaces still snow covered, I asked a flight attendant when the aircraft would be deiced. She went forward and returned with a message that it did not require deicing. I idented myself as the senior test pilot for a major aircraft manufacturer and advised her that, if it were not deiced, I wanted to get off of the aircraft before takeoff. A short while later, the pilot announced that we were taxiing back to the ramp in the interest of customer satisfaction (not safety), because 1 passenger was not comfortable with the snow on the wings even though his yrs of experience assured him that there was no problem. As a point of interest, several people around me then expressed their concern, but had not felt comfortable in saying anything. At this point, the wings were swept and first officer made a visual check of the lifting surfaces -- as should have been done in the first place. We then had another intercom discussion about how there was never a problem inferring an unneeded delay (which, by the way, amounted to only about 5 mins late arriving at msp). At first, I thought I would just let this pass. However, on further reflection, such ignorance of the most basic student pilot cold WX flying lesson, or professional arrogance, whichever it is, could hurt someone in the future. Hence, my letter to you. One of the first cold WX lessons that student pilots are taught is that you must clean any snow or ice off of all surfaces because of the adverse effects of any foreign material adhering to the lifting surfaces. Even if the snow is loose and will blow off, you must clean it off in order to visually check the condition of the lifting surface to be certain that nothing is sticking to the surfaces. In addition, if you folks are up on recent accident incident reports as I believe you are, slick wing aircraft like that in question have had a significant history of takeoff stall incidents, many thought to be caused by lifting surfaces that were contaminated by frost, ice, or snow. I was not trying to cause unnecessary trouble for your crew yesterday. But, as I have said many times in response to questions regarding my profession, I did not get to be an 'old' test pilot (35 yrs of active flying) by doing dumb things. I was not about to passively allow someone else to do a dumb thing with me onboard just because I was not in my usual front-left seat.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG RETURNS TO RAMP FOR DEICING AFTER A PLT QUALIFIED PAX COMPLAINS BOUT SNOW ON WINGS.

Narrative: ON DEC/XX/92, I WAS A PAX FROM GFK TO MSP. UPON BOARDING, I NOTED THAT THE ACFT HAD A COUPLE OF INCHES OF SNOW COVER, PARTICULARLY ON THE WINGS. I ASSUMED THAT THE ACFT WOULD BE DEICED OR AT LEAST THE SNOW SWEPT FROM THE WINGS PRIOR TO ENG START SO THAT THE CREW COULD DO THEIR INSPECTION OF THE CONDITION OF THE WINGS PRIOR TO TAXI. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN. WHEN IT BECAME OBVIOUS TO ME THAT WE WERE PREPARING TO TAXI OUT WITH THE SURFACES STILL SNOW COVERED, I ASKED A FLT ATTENDANT WHEN THE ACFT WOULD BE DEICED. SHE WENT FORWARD AND RETURNED WITH A MESSAGE THAT IT DID NOT REQUIRE DEICING. I IDENTED MYSELF AS THE SENIOR TEST PLT FOR A MAJOR ACFT MANUFACTURER AND ADVISED HER THAT, IF IT WERE NOT DEICED, I WANTED TO GET OFF OF THE ACFT BEFORE TKOF. A SHORT WHILE LATER, THE PLT ANNOUNCED THAT WE WERE TAXIING BACK TO THE RAMP IN THE INTEREST OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION (NOT SAFETY), BECAUSE 1 PAX WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SNOW ON THE WINGS EVEN THOUGH HIS YRS OF EXPERIENCE ASSURED HIM THAT THERE WAS NO PROB. AS A POINT OF INTEREST, SEVERAL PEOPLE AROUND ME THEN EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN, BUT HAD NOT FELT COMFORTABLE IN SAYING ANYTHING. AT THIS POINT, THE WINGS WERE SWEPT AND FO MADE A VISUAL CHK OF THE LIFTING SURFACES -- AS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE. WE THEN HAD ANOTHER INTERCOM DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THERE WAS NEVER A PROB INFERRING AN UNNEEDED DELAY (WHICH, BY THE WAY, AMOUNTED TO ONLY ABOUT 5 MINS LATE ARRIVING AT MSP). AT FIRST, I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST LET THIS PASS. HOWEVER, ON FURTHER REFLECTION, SUCH IGNORANCE OF THE MOST BASIC STUDENT PLT COLD WX FLYING LESSON, OR PROFESSIONAL ARROGANCE, WHICHEVER IT IS, COULD HURT SOMEONE IN THE FUTURE. HENCE, MY LETTER TO YOU. ONE OF THE FIRST COLD WX LESSONS THAT STUDENT PLTS ARE TAUGHT IS THAT YOU MUST CLEAN ANY SNOW OR ICE OFF OF ALL SURFACES BECAUSE OF THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ANY FOREIGN MATERIAL ADHERING TO THE LIFTING SURFACES. EVEN IF THE SNOW IS LOOSE AND WILL BLOW OFF, YOU MUST CLEAN IT OFF IN ORDER TO VISUALLY CHK THE CONDITION OF THE LIFTING SURFACE TO BE CERTAIN THAT NOTHING IS STICKING TO THE SURFACES. IN ADDITION, IF YOU FOLKS ARE UP ON RECENT ACCIDENT INCIDENT RPTS AS I BELIEVE YOU ARE, SLICK WING ACFT LIKE THAT IN QUESTION HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT HISTORY OF TKOF STALL INCIDENTS, MANY THOUGHT TO BE CAUSED BY LIFTING SURFACES THAT WERE CONTAMINATED BY FROST, ICE, OR SNOW. I WAS NOT TRYING TO CAUSE UNNECESSARY TROUBLE FOR YOUR CREW YESTERDAY. BUT, AS I HAVE SAID MANY TIMES IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS REGARDING MY PROFESSION, I DID NOT GET TO BE AN 'OLD' TEST PLT (35 YRS OF ACTIVE FLYING) BY DOING DUMB THINGS. I WAS NOT ABOUT TO PASSIVELY ALLOW SOMEONE ELSE TO DO A DUMB THING WITH ME ONBOARD JUST BECAUSE I WAS NOT IN MY USUAL FRONT-LEFT SEAT.

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.