Narrative:

The MD80 aircraft requires an inspection of upper wing surfaces for clear ice formation prior to each departure. It is the responsibility of our maintenance crew to perform and document this check in the logbook. If the logbook is inaccessible (ie, jetway removed) the maintenance person is supposed to relay the sign-off via interphone contact. The flight crew is to assure that the ice check has been accomplished and documented prior to departure. On this day our previous flight operated late due to WX delay at the hub airport. Upon arriving on this previous flight we had to change aircraft. Departure time had already passed before we arrived at new aircraft so we tried to expedite the departure as all passenger and flight attendants were onboard already. In our haste we neglected to verify documentation of ice check. It is unknown to me whether check was actually done. Shortly before our departure remote location deicing was stopped because WX conditions improved to a point where deicing was not needed. When using remote deicing the clear ice check is performed there and not at gate. It is probable that the gate mechanic was unaware of the need to now do the ice check at the gate. The takeoff was made uneventfully. Captain discovered our lack of ice check sign off in-flight. Our company is trying to recover from a reputation for less than reliable service and part on-time performance. Management has pounded and pounded the on-time message. Company policy however, is safety, passenger comfort, and then schedule. We let schedule override safety by hastening our preflight duties. Simply put, in our haste we neglected to check if the clear ice check was done. Maintenance at this station usually performs this function well. The ice check is normally signed off like clock work. Emphasis must always be safety first. Supplemental information from acn 396186: on the MD80 we have several procedures not found on other aircraft. One of these is a procedure requiring an 'ice-check' of the wing from october to may and a logbook sign-off with the person's employee number, date, local time and station. Because of design problems the MD80 has a tendency to form ice on the wing root after long flts. The fix was to require an 'ice check' of the surface prior to each flight from october to may on all flts. We had to make an aircraft change and were rushed due to our late arrival caused by the WX. I obtained the paperwork and the first officer preflted the aircraft. Maintenance and the passenger were on the aircraft. We completed our checks and called for pushback. During pushback my interphone failed and the first officer had to talk to company and ground. After departure I discovered the ice-check had not been signed off. Further conversations with maintenance determined the check had not been accomplished. Chain of events: -- rushed operation on our part to get the operation going. A change of airport operation from remote deicing not requiring an ice check to no deicing requiring a check. Maintenance is responsible to enter the information in the logbook when its available. However if the logbook is not accessible they can pass the information to the cockpit via interphone. The required procedure has evolved by some mechanics to pass the information over the interphone simply because it's easier. Normally I would inquire about the ice-check but on the previous leg we had used remote deicing not requiring a gate sign-off. A rushed operation on our part delaying certain check until underway. The failure on the interphone disrupting normal communications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF MD80 DOES NOT CONFIRM REQUIRED LOGBOOK SIGN OFF IF 'ICE CHK' PRIOR TO DEP. LACK OF SIGN OFF IS DISCOVERED INFLT.

Narrative: THE MD80 ACFT REQUIRES AN INSPECTION OF UPPER WING SURFACES FOR CLR ICE FORMATION PRIOR TO EACH DEP. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR MAINT CREW TO PERFORM AND DOCUMENT THIS CHK IN THE LOGBOOK. IF THE LOGBOOK IS INACCESSIBLE (IE, JETWAY REMOVED) THE MAINT PERSON IS SUPPOSED TO RELAY THE SIGN-OFF VIA INTERPHONE CONTACT. THE FLC IS TO ASSURE THAT THE ICE CHK HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AND DOCUMENTED PRIOR TO DEP. ON THIS DAY OUR PREVIOUS FLT OPERATED LATE DUE TO WX DELAY AT THE HUB ARPT. UPON ARRIVING ON THIS PREVIOUS FLT WE HAD TO CHANGE ACFT. DEP TIME HAD ALREADY PASSED BEFORE WE ARRIVED AT NEW ACFT SO WE TRIED TO EXPEDITE THE DEP AS ALL PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS WERE ONBOARD ALREADY. IN OUR HASTE WE NEGLECTED TO VERIFY DOCUMENTATION OF ICE CHK. IT IS UNKNOWN TO ME WHETHER CHK WAS ACTUALLY DONE. SHORTLY BEFORE OUR DEP REMOTE LOCATION DEICING WAS STOPPED BECAUSE WX CONDITIONS IMPROVED TO A POINT WHERE DEICING WAS NOT NEEDED. WHEN USING REMOTE DEICING THE CLR ICE CHK IS PERFORMED THERE AND NOT AT GATE. IT IS PROBABLE THAT THE GATE MECH WAS UNAWARE OF THE NEED TO NOW DO THE ICE CHK AT THE GATE. THE TKOF WAS MADE UNEVENTFULLY. CAPT DISCOVERED OUR LACK OF ICE CHK SIGN OFF INFLT. OUR COMPANY IS TRYING TO RECOVER FROM A REPUTATION FOR LESS THAN RELIABLE SVC AND PART ON-TIME PERFORMANCE. MGMNT HAS POUNDED AND POUNDED THE ON-TIME MESSAGE. COMPANY POLICY HOWEVER, IS SAFETY, PAX COMFORT, AND THEN SCHEDULE. WE LET SCHEDULE OVERRIDE SAFETY BY HASTENING OUR PREFLT DUTIES. SIMPLY PUT, IN OUR HASTE WE NEGLECTED TO CHK IF THE CLR ICE CHK WAS DONE. MAINT AT THIS STATION USUALLY PERFORMS THIS FUNCTION WELL. THE ICE CHK IS NORMALLY SIGNED OFF LIKE CLOCK WORK. EMPHASIS MUST ALWAYS BE SAFETY FIRST. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 396186: ON THE MD80 WE HAVE SEVERAL PROCS NOT FOUND ON OTHER ACFT. ONE OF THESE IS A PROC REQUIRING AN 'ICE-CHK' OF THE WING FROM OCTOBER TO MAY AND A LOGBOOK SIGN-OFF WITH THE PERSON'S EMPLOYEE NUMBER, DATE, LCL TIME AND STATION. BECAUSE OF DESIGN PROBS THE MD80 HAS A TENDENCY TO FORM ICE ON THE WING ROOT AFTER LONG FLTS. THE FIX WAS TO REQUIRE AN 'ICE CHK' OF THE SURFACE PRIOR TO EACH FLT FROM OCTOBER TO MAY ON ALL FLTS. WE HAD TO MAKE AN ACFT CHANGE AND WERE RUSHED DUE TO OUR LATE ARR CAUSED BY THE WX. I OBTAINED THE PAPERWORK AND THE FO PREFLTED THE ACFT. MAINT AND THE PAX WERE ON THE ACFT. WE COMPLETED OUR CHKS AND CALLED FOR PUSHBACK. DURING PUSHBACK MY INTERPHONE FAILED AND THE FO HAD TO TALK TO COMPANY AND GND. AFTER DEP I DISCOVERED THE ICE-CHK HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED OFF. FURTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH MAINT DETERMINED THE CHK HAD NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. CHAIN OF EVENTS: -- RUSHED OP ON OUR PART TO GET THE OP GOING. A CHANGE OF ARPT OP FROM REMOTE DEICING NOT REQUIRING AN ICE CHK TO NO DEICING REQUIRING A CHK. MAINT IS RESPONSIBLE TO ENTER THE INFO IN THE LOGBOOK WHEN ITS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER IF THE LOGBOOK IS NOT ACCESSIBLE THEY CAN PASS THE INFO TO THE COCKPIT VIA INTERPHONE. THE REQUIRED PROC HAS EVOLVED BY SOME MECHS TO PASS THE INFO OVER THE INTERPHONE SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S EASIER. NORMALLY I WOULD INQUIRE ABOUT THE ICE-CHK BUT ON THE PREVIOUS LEG WE HAD USED REMOTE DEICING NOT REQUIRING A GATE SIGN-OFF. A RUSHED OP ON OUR PART DELAYING CERTAIN CHK UNTIL UNDERWAY. THE FAILURE ON THE INTERPHONE DISRUPTING NORMAL COMS.

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.