Narrative:

Shortly after arriving at the gate in ord I talked to a maintenance person about the need to deice the aircraft due to light snow falling. It was agreed that the aircraft would be deiced just before pushback. After that, I went outside to do the walk around. Although company policy states that ladders should be placed at each wing for ice inspection there were none and I didn't ask for any since this inspection is to determine if the plane needs to be deiced and that fact had already been determined. When I returned to the jetway, 2 FAA inspectors met me and asked if I knew I was supposed to inspect the wings, and I told them that the plane was going to be deiced anyway. One inspector said that the ladders should have been placed there and I should have inspected the wings for ice on the tops. They then took my name and certificate number and left. Before they left I asked if I was being violated and they said they didn't know and I would receive notice in the mail if I was. Other factors: the captain and I had agreed beforehand that the aircraft would need deicing. The maintenance man said they expected to deice the aircraft and the equipment was standing by. The WX was light snow and temperature was +1 degree C. After talking to the FAA inspectors I requested ladders be placed and I inspected the wings -- which had no ice or snow accumulation. The aircraft was deiced before pushback anyway. Supplemental information from acn 354529: their attitude seemed to be that if procedures stated that ladders and wing checks during the winter would be utilized to determine whether deicing was necessary, then they must be used and performed even though deicing was a foregone conclusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 PARKED AT THE GATE. FLC AND MAINT HAD DECIDED THE ACFT WOULD BE DEICED PRIOR TO DEP. FAA ACI COMPLAINED THAT THE FO, DURING HIS WALK AROUND, FAILED TO USE A LADDER TO INSPECT THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE WING. FO GOT A LADDER AND MADE THE INSPECTION NO SNOW WAS STICKING TO THE WINGS.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE IN ORD I TALKED TO A MAINT PERSON ABOUT THE NEED TO DEICE THE ACFT DUE TO LIGHT SNOW FALLING. IT WAS AGREED THAT THE ACFT WOULD BE DEICED JUST BEFORE PUSHBACK. AFTER THAT, I WENT OUTSIDE TO DO THE WALK AROUND. ALTHOUGH COMPANY POLICY STATES THAT LADDERS SHOULD BE PLACED AT EACH WING FOR ICE INSPECTION THERE WERE NONE AND I DIDN'T ASK FOR ANY SINCE THIS INSPECTION IS TO DETERMINE IF THE PLANE NEEDS TO BE DEICED AND THAT FACT HAD ALREADY BEEN DETERMINED. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE JETWAY, 2 FAA INSPECTORS MET ME AND ASKED IF I KNEW I WAS SUPPOSED TO INSPECT THE WINGS, AND I TOLD THEM THAT THE PLANE WAS GOING TO BE DEICED ANYWAY. ONE INSPECTOR SAID THAT THE LADDERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED THERE AND I SHOULD HAVE INSPECTED THE WINGS FOR ICE ON THE TOPS. THEY THEN TOOK MY NAME AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER AND LEFT. BEFORE THEY LEFT I ASKED IF I WAS BEING VIOLATED AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW AND I WOULD RECEIVE NOTICE IN THE MAIL IF I WAS. OTHER FACTORS: THE CAPT AND I HAD AGREED BEFOREHAND THAT THE ACFT WOULD NEED DEICING. THE MAINT MAN SAID THEY EXPECTED TO DEICE THE ACFT AND THE EQUIP WAS STANDING BY. THE WX WAS LIGHT SNOW AND TEMP WAS +1 DEG C. AFTER TALKING TO THE FAA INSPECTORS I REQUESTED LADDERS BE PLACED AND I INSPECTED THE WINGS -- WHICH HAD NO ICE OR SNOW ACCUMULATION. THE ACFT WAS DEICED BEFORE PUSHBACK ANYWAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 354529: THEIR ATTITUDE SEEMED TO BE THAT IF PROCS STATED THAT LADDERS AND WING CHKS DURING THE WINTER WOULD BE UTILIZED TO DETERMINE WHETHER DEICING WAS NECESSARY, THEN THEY MUST BE USED AND PERFORMED EVEN THOUGH DEICING WAS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.

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.