Aci suggested that an aircraft be deiced.

Attributes
ACN	291478
Time
Date	199412
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : msy
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	291478
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 4800
ASRS Report	291477
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On a bright, clear day, crew arrived at stl for XB40 local departure. Captain did extensive walk around, noticed no abnormal conditions including frost on wings or flight control surfaces. No deice necessary. At approximately XB30, FAA inspector showed up, mentioned he'd seen hoarfrost on upper top fuselage area (allowed in FAA approved flight operations manual) and would like us to consider deice. Captain explained his walk around findings no frost on critical flight control surfaces and found the aircraft airworthy. After crew consultation, decision to deice was accomplished to accommodate the whims of the FAA inspector to cover 'all bases.' flight continued uneventfully to phx. In phx, captain was informed FAA inspector (stl) had already called air carrier poi and air carrier flight operations management concerning different observation of light hoarfrost on upper fuselage surfaces. Also, on day before, department of transportation (DOT) secretary announced 'enhanced' FAA inspections to follow-on politically embarrassing call on not grounding/then grounding ATR fleet in post-crash debacle scenario! P.south. Said aircraft had sat for only 3 plus hours on ramp at stl from earlier arrival and had a fuel temperature of plus 17 degrees C!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACI SUGGESTED THAT AN ACFT BE DEICED.

Narrative: ON A BRIGHT, CLR DAY, CREW ARRIVED AT STL FOR XB40 LCL DEP. CAPT DID EXTENSIVE WALK AROUND, NOTICED NO ABNORMAL CONDITIONS INCLUDING FROST ON WINGS OR FLT CTL SURFACES. NO DEICE NECESSARY. AT APPROX XB30, FAA INSPECTOR SHOWED UP, MENTIONED HE'D SEEN HOARFROST ON UPPER TOP FUSELAGE AREA (ALLOWED IN FAA APPROVED FLT OPS MANUAL) AND WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER DEICE. CAPT EXPLAINED HIS WALK AROUND FINDINGS NO FROST ON CRITICAL FLT CTL SURFACES AND FOUND THE ACFT AIRWORTHY. AFTER CREW CONSULTATION, DECISION TO DEICE WAS ACCOMPLISHED TO ACCOMMODATE THE WHIMS OF THE FAA INSPECTOR TO COVER 'ALL BASES.' FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO PHX. IN PHX, CAPT WAS INFORMED FAA INSPECTOR (STL) HAD ALREADY CALLED ACR POI AND ACR FLT OPS MGMNT CONCERNING DIFFERENT OBSERVATION OF LIGHT HOARFROST ON UPPER FUSELAGE SURFACES. ALSO, ON DAY BEFORE, DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION (DOT) SECRETARY ANNOUNCED 'ENHANCED' FAA INSPECTIONS TO FOLLOW-ON POLITICALLY EMBARRASSING CALL ON NOT GNDING/THEN GNDING ATR FLEET IN POST-CRASH DEBACLE SCENARIO! P.S. SAID ACFT HAD SAT FOR ONLY 3 PLUS HRS ON RAMP AT STL FROM EARLIER ARR AND HAD A FUEL TEMP OF PLUS 17 DEGS C!

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.