Narrative:

Entered deice loop. Stopped at red light. De-icing was initiated. After 10 mins or so, light went from red to double green. De-icing truck appeared to have gone to aircraft on other side of deice loop. We tried to contact deice crew several times on radio with no response. After several additional mins, I decided that the double green light was their confirmation that they were finished and started to taxi. They then came on the radio and said they weren't finished. Our company 20-10A commercial plate states on step 4 red -- hold position. Green -- proceed in direction of arrows. The light should not be changed back to green until the aircraft is cleared to taxi, and if radio contact to taxi is required, someone should monitor the radio. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that after he started taxiing away from the dice area and was subsequently called by the deicers that they were not yet done, he taxied on around the deice area and stopped where he had left and the deice of the aircraft was quickly completed. Since he had waited approximately 10 mins after the light turned green and there was nothing heard on the radio, he thought they were done. The deice truck he noticed going to the other side of the deice island, was not the truck doing the tail area of his aircraft. On the next trip around the island, the lights worked the same but the radio contact was there to keep the flight crew informed as to when to taxi. The green light really did not apply to taxi as such, only at that after the red stop for being in correct position, the light went green for the next aircraft which would not approach until the deice area was vacant! He further stated that this deice location was the only one he had used that had the lights. Others used radio and apron markings only.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN LGT PREMATURELY TAXIED FROM THE DE-ICING PAD DUE TO A LACK OF DEICER COM.

Narrative: ENTERED DEICE LOOP. STOPPED AT RED LIGHT. DE-ICING WAS INITIATED. AFTER 10 MINS OR SO, LIGHT WENT FROM RED TO DOUBLE GREEN. DE-ICING TRUCK APPEARED TO HAVE GONE TO ACFT ON OTHER SIDE OF DEICE LOOP. WE TRIED TO CONTACT DEICE CREW SEVERAL TIMES ON RADIO WITH NO RESPONSE. AFTER SEVERAL ADDITIONAL MINS, I DECIDED THAT THE DOUBLE GREEN LIGHT WAS THEIR CONFIRMATION THAT THEY WERE FINISHED AND STARTED TO TAXI. THEY THEN CAME ON THE RADIO AND SAID THEY WEREN'T FINISHED. OUR COMPANY 20-10A COMMERCIAL PLATE STATES ON STEP 4 RED -- HOLD POS. GREEN -- PROCEED IN DIRECTION OF ARROWS. THE LIGHT SHOULD NOT BE CHANGED BACK TO GREEN UNTIL THE ACFT IS CLRED TO TAXI, AND IF RADIO CONTACT TO TAXI IS REQUIRED, SOMEONE SHOULD MONITOR THE RADIO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT AFTER HE STARTED TAXIING AWAY FROM THE DICE AREA AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CALLED BY THE DEICERS THAT THEY WERE NOT YET DONE, HE TAXIED ON AROUND THE DEICE AREA AND STOPPED WHERE HE HAD LEFT AND THE DEICE OF THE ACFT WAS QUICKLY COMPLETED. SINCE HE HAD WAITED APPROX 10 MINS AFTER THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND THERE WAS NOTHING HEARD ON THE RADIO, HE THOUGHT THEY WERE DONE. THE DEICE TRUCK HE NOTICED GOING TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DEICE ISLAND, WAS NOT THE TRUCK DOING THE TAIL AREA OF HIS ACFT. ON THE NEXT TRIP AROUND THE ISLAND, THE LIGHTS WORKED THE SAME BUT THE RADIO CONTACT WAS THERE TO KEEP THE FLC INFORMED AS TO WHEN TO TAXI. THE GREEN LIGHT REALLY DID NOT APPLY TO TAXI AS SUCH, ONLY AT THAT AFTER THE RED STOP FOR BEING IN CORRECT POS, THE LIGHT WENT GREEN FOR THE NEXT ACFT WHICH WOULD NOT APCH UNTIL THE DEICE AREA WAS VACANT! HE FURTHER STATED THAT THIS DEICE LOCATION WAS THE ONLY ONE HE HAD USED THAT HAD THE LIGHTS. OTHERS USED RADIO AND APRON MARKINGS ONLY.

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.