Narrative:

Morning B767-300 service. I noticed frost on car when left for airport at XA40 (sun was rising then). Scheduled XC10 departure. Aircraft was brought from hangar at around XB20. Captain performed walkaround accompanied by a discussion about whether aircraft needed to be deiced. Both captain and mechanic did not see a need for deicing (sun had been up for a while). Upon taxi out, a commuting pilot called on the interphone and said he thought there was frost on the wings. I asked the captain what he wanted to do. He said that he did not see anything to be deiced. The captain asked the FAA inspector what he thought and the FAA inspector said he didn't see anything on his walkaround either. The captain said 'let's go,' so I queried both and both again said that they didn't see anything unsafe. I figured 3 qualified people -- captain, mechanic, and FAA inspector who was a former part 121 pilots, said ok, so I concurred. In retrospect, I should have offered to go back and check one more time. I like doing everything as safe as humanly possible and I feel in retrospect that maybe we left a 'loose end.' flight was uneventful with no unusual control problems. What bothers me is that although we had a good discussion (CRM), maybe someone had some information that would have been pertinent to our flight. But then I also think 3 qualified people coming to the same conclusion should not be overlooked. I guess maybe a 'final' answer by one more check would have put all questions to rest. I do feel we conducted the flight safely, but we can always do better.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A QUESTION OF WHETHER DEICING IS NEEDED ON A FROSTY MORNING.

Narrative: MORNING B767-300 SVC. I NOTICED FROST ON CAR WHEN LEFT FOR ARPT AT XA40 (SUN WAS RISING THEN). SCHEDULED XC10 DEP. ACFT WAS BROUGHT FROM HANGAR AT AROUND XB20. CAPT PERFORMED WALKAROUND ACCOMPANIED BY A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER ACFT NEEDED TO BE DEICED. BOTH CAPT AND MECH DID NOT SEE A NEED FOR DEICING (SUN HAD BEEN UP FOR A WHILE). UPON TAXI OUT, A COMMUTING PLT CALLED ON THE INTERPHONE AND SAID HE THOUGHT THERE WAS FROST ON THE WINGS. I ASKED THE CAPT WHAT HE WANTED TO DO. HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT SEE ANYTHING TO BE DEICED. THE CAPT ASKED THE FAA INSPECTOR WHAT HE THOUGHT AND THE FAA INSPECTOR SAID HE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ON HIS WALKAROUND EITHER. THE CAPT SAID 'LET'S GO,' SO I QUERIED BOTH AND BOTH AGAIN SAID THAT THEY DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING UNSAFE. I FIGURED 3 QUALIFIED PEOPLE -- CAPT, MECH, AND FAA INSPECTOR WHO WAS A FORMER PART 121 PLTS, SAID OK, SO I CONCURRED. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE OFFERED TO GO BACK AND CHK ONE MORE TIME. I LIKE DOING EVERYTHING AS SAFE AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE AND I FEEL IN RETROSPECT THAT MAYBE WE LEFT A 'LOOSE END.' FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH NO UNUSUAL CTL PROBS. WHAT BOTHERS ME IS THAT ALTHOUGH WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION (CRM), MAYBE SOMEONE HAD SOME INFO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN PERTINENT TO OUR FLT. BUT THEN I ALSO THINK 3 QUALIFIED PEOPLE COMING TO THE SAME CONCLUSION SHOULD NOT BE OVERLOOKED. I GUESS MAYBE A 'FINAL' ANSWER BY ONE MORE CHK WOULD HAVE PUT ALL QUESTIONS TO REST. I DO FEEL WE CONDUCTED THE FLT SAFELY, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER.

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.