On taxi out first flight of the day the cabin attendant informed the crew there was frost on the win...

Attributes
ACN	294591
Time
Date	199501
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	294591
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First flight of day, clear, temperature 20 degree fahrenheit. Aircraft had ron. First officer did walk around, stated aircraft did not need to be de-iced when asked by me. Aircraft was fueled after first officer walk around. On taxi-out flight attendant came up to cabin and reported frost on top of wings. Returned to ramp and de- iced. First officer did not walk back and view wings from overwing cabin windows during preflight, but stated he could see no frost on any surfaces during walk-around. This coincided with my view of the left wing area I viewed when going up the ramp stairs. 1 of 2 possibilities: either the first officer did an incomplete walkaround preflight, or when the fuel was uploaded into a cold soaked wing, it created frost. There is no procedure for a post-fuel inspection of a cold wing on this aircraft, unlike the md-80. Perhaps this should be investigated. Normally, it is my personal procedure to 1) view the wing from both the boarding ramp and overwing cabin windows. This flight an MEL on the fuel gauge required dripsticking, and the mechanic was contract maintenance. I was engaged in verifying fuel load. Next time, I will ask if wing was viewed from cabin, and will do another inspection after fuel is loaded.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON TAXI OUT FIRST FLT OF THE DAY THE CABIN ATTENDANT INFORMED THE CREW THERE WAS FROST ON THE WINGS. THE FLT RETURNED TO THE GATE AND THE FROST WAS REMOVED.

Narrative: FIRST FLT OF DAY, CLR, TEMP 20 DEG FAHRENHEIT. ACFT HAD RON. FO DID WALK AROUND, STATED ACFT DID NOT NEED TO BE DE-ICED WHEN ASKED BY ME. ACFT WAS FUELED AFTER FO WALK AROUND. ON TAXI-OUT FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP TO CABIN AND RPTED FROST ON TOP OF WINGS. RETURNED TO RAMP AND DE- ICED. FO DID NOT WALK BACK AND VIEW WINGS FROM OVERWING CABIN WINDOWS DURING PREFLT, BUT STATED HE COULD SEE NO FROST ON ANY SURFACES DURING WALK-AROUND. THIS COINCIDED WITH MY VIEW OF THE L WING AREA I VIEWED WHEN GOING UP THE RAMP STAIRS. 1 OF 2 POSSIBILITIES: EITHER THE FO DID AN INCOMPLETE WALKAROUND PREFLT, OR WHEN THE FUEL WAS UPLOADED INTO A COLD SOAKED WING, IT CREATED FROST. THERE IS NO PROC FOR A POST-FUEL INSPECTION OF A COLD WING ON THIS ACFT, UNLIKE THE MD-80. PERHAPS THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. NORMALLY, IT IS MY PERSONAL PROC TO 1) VIEW THE WING FROM BOTH THE BOARDING RAMP AND OVERWING CABIN WINDOWS. THIS FLT AN MEL ON THE FUEL GAUGE REQUIRED DRIPSTICKING, AND THE MECH WAS CONTRACT MAINT. I WAS ENGAGED IN VERIFYING FUEL LOAD. NEXT TIME, I WILL ASK IF WING WAS VIEWED FROM CABIN, AND WILL DO ANOTHER INSPECTION AFTER FUEL IS LOADED.

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.

On taxi out first flight of the day the cabin attendant informed the crew there was frost on the wings. The flight returned to the gate and the frost was removed.