Narrative:

The captain and my day started off in slc where we were to pick up a through-flight B737 for the 3RD day of a 3 day trip. The outside WX conditions weren't too bad. ATIS was calling a temperature of zero degrees C with light snow. The snow was not freezing nor was it sticking to the aircraft or ground. When I accomplished the walkaround, the airplane looked absolutely fine with no freezing or sticking ice, slush or frost. However, due to the fact that the airplane's wings were cold-soaked from the previous flight, and the temperature was bordering freezing, the station manager decided to have deicing procedures go into effect. Since I am a somewhat new first officer with this airline, I had only seen deicing accomplished once before almost a yr prior. To refresh my memory of company deicing procedures, I verbally went over them with the captain. I was satisfied at that time that I had a good idea of what was going to happen. After pushing back from the gate and starting engines, all checklists were complete and we were ready to go. As is company policy, the captain called for takeoff flaps which is my prompt that I should call ground for taxi. We went to the deicing spot and deiced with the engines running. After visual confirmation with the 'ice-man,' everything checked out ok for us to take off. The temperature was still zero degrees C or above and it was snowing lightly with no ice or snow accumulations visible. After takeoff, we both realized that contrary to company policy we had deiced with the flaps in the takeoff position instead of up where they should have been. This could have allowed ice to remain on the flaps or wings. Fortunately, though, everything turned out ok. Looking back on this several things could have been done differently. First, I should have taken the time to review my operations manual for deicing procedures. Second, I should have reviewed the checklist more carefully to catch lowering the flaps for deicing. Third, the captain and I should have been more vigilant in backing each other up. All in all, the situation ended up with a happy ending, though if we had made the same mistake in worse conditions it could have turned out differently.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLC HAS THE ACFT DEICED WITH THE WING FLAPS SELECTED TO THE TKOF POS AT SLC, UT.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND MY DAY STARTED OFF IN SLC WHERE WE WERE TO PICK UP A THROUGH-FLT B737 FOR THE 3RD DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP. THE OUTSIDE WX CONDITIONS WEREN'T TOO BAD. ATIS WAS CALLING A TEMP OF ZERO DEGS C WITH LIGHT SNOW. THE SNOW WAS NOT FREEZING NOR WAS IT STICKING TO THE ACFT OR GND. WHEN I ACCOMPLISHED THE WALKAROUND, THE AIRPLANE LOOKED ABSOLUTELY FINE WITH NO FREEZING OR STICKING ICE, SLUSH OR FROST. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE AIRPLANE'S WINGS WERE COLD-SOAKED FROM THE PREVIOUS FLT, AND THE TEMP WAS BORDERING FREEZING, THE STATION MGR DECIDED TO HAVE DEICING PROCS GO INTO EFFECT. SINCE I AM A SOMEWHAT NEW FO WITH THIS AIRLINE, I HAD ONLY SEEN DEICING ACCOMPLISHED ONCE BEFORE ALMOST A YR PRIOR. TO REFRESH MY MEMORY OF COMPANY DEICING PROCS, I VERBALLY WENT OVER THEM WITH THE CAPT. I WAS SATISFIED AT THAT TIME THAT I HAD A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. AFTER PUSHING BACK FROM THE GATE AND STARTING ENGS, ALL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETE AND WE WERE READY TO GO. AS IS COMPANY POLICY, THE CAPT CALLED FOR TKOF FLAPS WHICH IS MY PROMPT THAT I SHOULD CALL GND FOR TAXI. WE WENT TO THE DEICING SPOT AND DEICED WITH THE ENGS RUNNING. AFTER VISUAL CONFIRMATION WITH THE 'ICE-MAN,' EVERYTHING CHKED OUT OK FOR US TO TAKE OFF. THE TEMP WAS STILL ZERO DEGS C OR ABOVE AND IT WAS SNOWING LIGHTLY WITH NO ICE OR SNOW ACCUMULATIONS VISIBLE. AFTER TKOF, WE BOTH REALIZED THAT CONTRARY TO COMPANY POLICY WE HAD DEICED WITH THE FLAPS IN THE TKOF POS INSTEAD OF UP WHERE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THIS COULD HAVE ALLOWED ICE TO REMAIN ON THE FLAPS OR WINGS. FORTUNATELY, THOUGH, EVERYTHING TURNED OUT OK. LOOKING BACK ON THIS SEVERAL THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE DIFFERENTLY. FIRST, I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO REVIEW MY OPS MANUAL FOR DEICING PROCS. SECOND, I SHOULD HAVE REVIEWED THE CHKLIST MORE CAREFULLY TO CATCH LOWERING THE FLAPS FOR DEICING. THIRD, THE CAPT AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE VIGILANT IN BACKING EACH OTHER UP. ALL IN ALL, THE SIT ENDED UP WITH A HAPPY ENDING, THOUGH IF WE HAD MADE THE SAME MISTAKE IN WORSE CONDITIONS IT COULD HAVE TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY.

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.