Narrative:

Flight lax to hou was dispatched with the captain's windshield wiper deferred. Houston WX was reporting scattered clouds with a chance of rain at our arrival time. The aircraft was loaded and we pushed back on time. While we were taxiing for takeoff on runway 25R. I received an ACARS message from dispatch to return to the gate immediately for windshield wiper inoperative. Before returning the captain contacted dispatch by radio to confirm the message. He found they concluded the WX forecast precluded us going to hou with a chance of rain. After we returned to the gate maintenance found that, when water was poured on the windshield, the wiper worked fine. They cleared the MEL, we were refueled and departed after a 1 hour and 40 min delay.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO RECALLS A FLT DURING TAXI THAT WAS POTENTIALLY GOING TOWARD ICING CONDITIONS. WAS CALLED BACK TO THE GATE BECAUSE OF A DEFERRED INOP WINDSHIELD WIPER.

Narrative: FLT LAX TO HOU WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE CAPT'S WINDSHIELD WIPER DEFERRED. HOUSTON WX WAS RPTING SCATTERED CLOUDS WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN AT OUR ARR TIME. THE ACFT WAS LOADED AND WE PUSHED BACK ON TIME. WHILE WE WERE TAXIING FOR TKOF ON RWY 25R. I RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH TO RETURN TO THE GATE IMMEDIATELY FOR WINDSHIELD WIPER INOP. BEFORE RETURNING THE CAPT CONTACTED DISPATCH BY RADIO TO CONFIRM THE MESSAGE. HE FOUND THEY CONCLUDED THE WX FORECAST PRECLUDED US GOING TO HOU WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN. AFTER WE RETURNED TO THE GATE MAINT FOUND THAT, WHEN WATER WAS POURED ON THE WINDSHIELD, THE WIPER WORKED FINE. THEY CLRED THE MEL, WE WERE REFUELED AND DEPARTED AFTER A 1 HR AND 40 MIN DELAY.

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.