Narrative:

I was working local control, ground control, and radar combined in the tower on the morning of 01/sat/02 during a snowstorm. All the aircraft, approximately nine, on the main ramp were covered with snow except for a covered aircraft that was in the middle of deicing. To my surprise an emb 135 passenger jet to cle, called for taxi. I questioned the pilot as to his localizer and to see if he wanted to repos the aircraft or taxi for takeoff. The pilot informed me he was requesting to taxi for takeoff. I asked the pilot if he was aware that his aircraft appeared not to have been deiced. The fuselage was covered with 3 to 4 inches of snow, the markings on the side of the aircraft was unreadable due to the snow, aft passenger windows were partly covered with snow that was overflowing from the fuselage, the nose was covered with snow, and the left horizontal stabilizer (the only one clearly visible from the tower) had several inches of snow buildup. The pilot informed me that he was advised that aircraft was clear! Approximately 20 mins later an emb 145 passenger jet to pit, requested to taxi for takeoff. The aircraft had been deiced earlier however new snow had lightly covered the wings and fuselage. The first third of the left inboard wing had enough accumulation that the wing was not visible. The local controller advised the pilot however he continued to taxi and departed about 10 to 15 mins later. Due to the visibility the aircraft was out of site during this time and it was impossible to see how much more snow had gathered on the wings. During the last snow storm at yeager airport the same situation occurred with passenger aircraft requesting to taxi with large amounts of snow and ice on their aircraft. All the aircraft taxied back due to notices from the tower or ice warning lights in the cockpit. The nonchalant attitude to deicing has me concerned. I do not feel it should be the tower's responsibility to monitor aircraft deicing, however I feel we must. If the tower visibility was a little lower we would not have been able to see emb 145 and he would have attempted to depart was considerable amount of snow on the aircraft at an airport on a 6302 ft runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LCL CTLR AT CRW DURING A SNOW STORM RECEIVED REQUEST FROM AN EMB135 AND LATER FROM AN EMB 145 FOR TAXI CLRNC TOT HE RWY FOR TKOF. BOTH ACFT WERE HEAVILY COVERED WITH SNOW AND SKIPPED DEICING.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING LCL CTL, GND CTL, AND RADAR COMBINED IN THE TWR ON THE MORNING OF 01/SAT/02 DURING A SNOWSTORM. ALL THE ACFT, APPROX NINE, ON THE MAIN RAMP WERE COVERED WITH SNOW EXCEPT FOR A COVERED ACFT THAT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF DEICING. TO MY SURPRISE AN EMB 135 PAX JET TO CLE, CALLED FOR TAXI. I QUESTIONED THE PLT AS TO HIS LOC AND TO SEE IF HE WANTED TO REPOS THE ACFT OR TAXI FOR TKOF. THE PLT INFORMED ME HE WAS REQUESTING TO TAXI FOR TKOF. I ASKED THE PLT IF HE WAS AWARE THAT HIS ACFT APPEARED NOT TO HAVE BEEN DEICED. THE FUSELAGE WAS COVERED WITH 3 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW, THE MARKINGS ON THE SIDE OF THE ACFT WAS UNREADABLE DUE TO THE SNOW, AFT PAX WINDOWS WERE PARTLY COVERED WITH SNOW THAT WAS OVERFLOWING FROM THE FUSELAGE, THE NOSE WAS COVERED WITH SNOW, AND THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER (THE ONLY ONE CLEARLY VISIBLE FROM THE TWR) HAD SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW BUILDUP. THE PLT INFORMED ME THAT HE WAS ADVISED THAT ACFT WAS CLR! APPROX 20 MINS LATER AN EMB 145 PAX JET TO PIT, REQUESTED TO TAXI FOR TKOF. THE ACFT HAD BEEN DEICED EARLIER HOWEVER NEW SNOW HAD LIGHTLY COVERED THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE. THE FIRST THIRD OF THE LEFT INBOARD WING HAD ENOUGH ACCUMULATION THAT THE WING WAS NOT VISIBLE. THE LOCAL CTLR ADVISED THE PLT HOWEVER HE CONTINUED TO TAXI AND DEPARTED ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINS LATER. DUE TO THE VISIBILITY THE ACFT WAS OUT OF SITE DURING THIS TIME AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE HOW MUCH MORE SNOW HAD GATHERED ON THE WINGS. DURING THE LAST SNOW STORM AT YEAGER ARPT THE SAME SIT OCCURRED WITH PAX ACFT REQUESTING TO TAXI WITH LARGE AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND ICE ON THEIR ACFT. ALL THE ACFT TAXIED BACK DUE TO NOTICES FROM THE TWR OR ICE WARNING LIGHTS IN THE COCKPIT. THE NONCHALANT ATTITUDE TO DEICING HAS ME CONCERNED. I DO NOT FEEL IT SHOULD BE THE TWR'S RESPONSIBILITY TO MONITOR ACFT DEICING, HOWEVER I FEEL WE MUST. IF THE TWR VISIBILITY WAS A LITTLE LOWER WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE EMB 145 AND HE WOULD HAVE ATTEMPTED TO DEPART WAS CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF SNOW ON THE ACFT AT AN ARPT ON A 6302 FT RWY.

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.