Narrative:

This incident happened the day after an ice storm had grounded 12 of our aircraft at dca. The best description I've heard was that our airplanes looked like candied apples. Even though the WX had improved, every aircraft on the dca ramp was covered with 1/2 to 1 inch of clear ice. Our aircraft was to be the 1ST aircraft to originate out of dca on the day after the ice storm. We departed at approximately xx:45 local time. Prior to our departure, ramp personnel used a full truck, 1200 gallons, of deicing fluid, and had only been able to remove less than half of the ice on the aircraft. At this point, the deicing truck ran out of fluid. Because it was going to take 1.5 hours to refill the truck and heat it's fluid, we were directed by operations to reposition the aircraft to the ramp at the south end of the airport where FBO would complete the deicing process. After FBO deicing personnel had signaled that deicing was complete, we departed for orf. After deplaning our passenger in orf, we ferried the aircraft from orf to phf. Prior to departing from phf for clt, I asked ramp personnel to use the cherry- picker basket on their deicing truck to check the upper surfaces and deice as required. The inspection of the wings and fuselage found no contamination. An inspection of the tail revealed 1/2 in of clear ice covering the entire upper surface of the horizontal stabilizer. This ice was not visible from the ground. All four of the leading edge boots and the upper surface of the elevator, which could be seen from the ground were clean and dry. Note: the phf deicing crew said that the ice on the stabilizer could only be seen when the deicing trucks basket was fully extended. I strongly feel that this ice had never been removed at dca. Possibly our only saving grace was that we had used 34500 pounds V speeds for both previous takeoffs and lndgs as well as increased approach speeds because of sigmets for and PIREPS of moderate rime icing in clouds. In retrospect, I question whether FBO, who has received no deicing training from our airline, is qualified to conduct deicing for our airline as outlined in our operation specifications. Please forward a copy of this report to (dca) and our training department. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: analyst attempted to contact reporter several times to indicate that we cannot forward his letter as requested without violating his report. Enclosed a note to that effect and suggested he follow up with such letters.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT ACR DEICED BUT LATER FINDS ICE STILL NOT REMOVED FROM HORIZ STABILIZER.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED THE DAY AFTER AN ICE STORM HAD GNDED 12 OF OUR ACFT AT DCA. THE BEST DESCRIPTION I'VE HEARD WAS THAT OUR AIRPLANES LOOKED LIKE CANDIED APPLES. EVEN THOUGH THE WX HAD IMPROVED, EVERY ACFT ON THE DCA RAMP WAS COVERED WITH 1/2 TO 1 INCH OF CLEAR ICE. OUR ACFT WAS TO BE THE 1ST ACFT TO ORIGINATE OUT OF DCA ON THE DAY AFTER THE ICE STORM. WE DEPARTED AT APPROX XX:45 LCL TIME. PRIOR TO OUR DEP, RAMP PERSONNEL USED A FULL TRUCK, 1200 GALLONS, OF DEICING FLUID, AND HAD ONLY BEEN ABLE TO REMOVE LESS THAN HALF OF THE ICE ON THE ACFT. AT THIS POINT, THE DEICING TRUCK RAN OUT OF FLUID. BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO TAKE 1.5 HOURS TO REFILL THE TRUCK AND HEAT IT'S FLUID, WE WERE DIRECTED BY OPS TO REPOSITION THE ACFT TO THE RAMP AT THE S END OF THE ARPT WHERE FBO WOULD COMPLETE THE DEICING PROCESS. AFTER FBO DEICING PERSONNEL HAD SIGNALED THAT DEICING WAS COMPLETE, WE DEPARTED FOR ORF. AFTER DEPLANING OUR PAX IN ORF, WE FERRIED THE ACFT FROM ORF TO PHF. PRIOR TO DEPARTING FROM PHF FOR CLT, I ASKED RAMP PERSONNEL TO USE THE CHERRY- PICKER BASKET ON THEIR DEICING TRUCK TO CHK THE UPPER SURFACES AND DEICE AS REQUIRED. THE INSPECTION OF THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE FOUND NO CONTAMINATION. AN INSPECTION OF THE TAIL REVEALED 1/2 IN OF CLEAR ICE COVERING THE ENTIRE UPPER SURFACE OF THE HORIZ STABILIZER. THIS ICE WAS NOT VISIBLE FROM THE GND. ALL FOUR OF THE LEADING EDGE BOOTS AND THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE ELEVATOR, WHICH COULD BE SEEN FROM THE GND WERE CLEAN AND DRY. NOTE: THE PHF DEICING CREW SAID THAT THE ICE ON THE STABILIZER COULD ONLY BE SEEN WHEN THE DEICING TRUCKS BASKET WAS FULLY EXTENDED. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THIS ICE HAD NEVER BEEN REMOVED AT DCA. POSSIBLY OUR ONLY SAVING GRACE WAS THAT WE HAD USED 34500 LBS V SPDS FOR BOTH PREVIOUS TKOFS AND LNDGS AS WELL AS INCREASED APCH SPDS BECAUSE OF SIGMETS FOR AND PIREPS OF MODERATE RIME ICING IN CLOUDS. IN RETROSPECT, I QUESTION WHETHER FBO, WHO HAS RECEIVED NO DEICING TRAINING FROM OUR AIRLINE, IS QUALIFIED TO CONDUCT DEICING FOR OUR AIRLINE AS OUTLINED IN OUR OP SPECS. PLEASE FORWARD A COPY OF THIS RPT TO (DCA) AND OUR TRAINING DEPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT RPTR SEVERAL TIMES TO INDICATE THAT WE CANNOT FORWARD HIS LETTER AS REQUESTED WITHOUT VIOLATING HIS RPT. ENCLOSED A NOTE TO THAT EFFECT AND SUGGESTED HE FOLLOW UP WITH SUCH LETTERS.

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.