Narrative:

Deice fluid causing near zero visibility during takeoff. During the early morning hours of mar/thu/02, we arrived at the apa airport at XA00, about 10 mins ahead of schedule. It was my first officer's leg to fly and as we came over the threshold of runway 35R, the WX was: winds out of the north at 6 KTS, 1 1/2 mi visibility in snow with an overcast ceiling of between 700-1000 ft. Once stopped at the ramp, I got out and noticed that in addition to the 'run back ice' created on the wing as a byproduct of the aircraft's ice protection system, snow was falling and sticking to the upper surface of the wing and other exposed surfaces of the aircraft. I then notified the person fueling our aircraft that we would be using deicing service at their designated pad prior to our departure. By the time we made it to the deice pad, the snowfall had gone from lightly falling to a moderate to heavy snow. The visibility was at 1 mi or less. I directed the deice equipment operator to spray the top surface of the wings, horizontal stabilizer/elevators and the outboard gear doors. When complete, I noticed that the windshield was covered with snow. I directed the operator to apply and light spray to both sides of the windshield -- just enough to get the snow off and provide accumulation protection until our departure. The type of fluid being used was type I ethylene glycol which is approved by our company operations specifications. As we departed the deice pad for runway 35R, the snowfall had gone to light to very light. During the taxi, visibility out the windshield was fair. We were then cleared for takeoff. The time was about XA45. The visibility down the 10000 ft runway was greater than 1 mi. It was my leg. As we accelerated down the runway, the windshield visibility began to deteriorate. By the time I determined that rippling glycol on the windshield was too much, I decided that the forward visibility was too poor to safely abort. I continued as an instrument takeoff. At rotation, the rippling glycol had rendered the windshield completely opaque. It wasn't until we were passing 15000-20000 ft that a reasonable good view of the world was again available to us. In the future, during ground deicing, there will be no application of deice fluid on my windshield. Other ways of windshield snow/contamination removal would include: wiping it clear with a gloved hand or rag. During taxi and prior to takeoff, the crew will quite readily see if their windshield is in compliance with the applicable regulations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEAR 35 CAPT HAS THE WINDSHIELD SPRAYED WITH DEICE FLUID WHILE DEICING THE WINGS AND TAIL SECTIONS, RESULTING IN DETERIORATION OF VISIBILITY THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD DURING TKOF TO THE POINT THAT IT WAS SAFER TO TAKE OFF THAN TO TRY AN ABORT.

Narrative: DEICE FLUID CAUSING NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY DURING TKOF. DURING THE EARLY MORNING HRS OF MAR/THU/02, WE ARRIVED AT THE APA ARPT AT XA00, ABOUT 10 MINS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. IT WAS MY FO'S LEG TO FLY AND AS WE CAME OVER THE THRESHOLD OF RWY 35R, THE WX WAS: WINDS OUT OF THE N AT 6 KTS, 1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY IN SNOW WITH AN OVCST CEILING OF BTWN 700-1000 FT. ONCE STOPPED AT THE RAMP, I GOT OUT AND NOTICED THAT IN ADDITION TO THE 'RUN BACK ICE' CREATED ON THE WING AS A BYPRODUCT OF THE ACFT'S ICE PROTECTION SYS, SNOW WAS FALLING AND STICKING TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE WING AND OTHER EXPOSED SURFACES OF THE ACFT. I THEN NOTIFIED THE PERSON FUELING OUR ACFT THAT WE WOULD BE USING DEICING SVC AT THEIR DESIGNATED PAD PRIOR TO OUR DEP. BY THE TIME WE MADE IT TO THE DEICE PAD, THE SNOWFALL HAD GONE FROM LIGHTLY FALLING TO A MODERATE TO HVY SNOW. THE VISIBILITY WAS AT 1 MI OR LESS. I DIRECTED THE DEICE EQUIP OPERATOR TO SPRAY THE TOP SURFACE OF THE WINGS, HORIZ STABILIZER/ELEVATORS AND THE OUTBOARD GEAR DOORS. WHEN COMPLETE, I NOTICED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS COVERED WITH SNOW. I DIRECTED THE OPERATOR TO APPLY AND LIGHT SPRAY TO BOTH SIDES OF THE WINDSHIELD -- JUST ENOUGH TO GET THE SNOW OFF AND PROVIDE ACCUMULATION PROTECTION UNTIL OUR DEP. THE TYPE OF FLUID BEING USED WAS TYPE I ETHYLENE GLYCOL WHICH IS APPROVED BY OUR COMPANY OPS SPECS. AS WE DEPARTED THE DEICE PAD FOR RWY 35R, THE SNOWFALL HAD GONE TO LIGHT TO VERY LIGHT. DURING THE TAXI, VISIBILITY OUT THE WINDSHIELD WAS FAIR. WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR TKOF. THE TIME WAS ABOUT XA45. THE VISIBILITY DOWN THE 10000 FT RWY WAS GREATER THAN 1 MI. IT WAS MY LEG. AS WE ACCELERATED DOWN THE RWY, THE WINDSHIELD VISIBILITY BEGAN TO DETERIORATE. BY THE TIME I DETERMINED THAT RIPPLING GLYCOL ON THE WINDSHIELD WAS TOO MUCH, I DECIDED THAT THE FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS TOO POOR TO SAFELY ABORT. I CONTINUED AS AN INST TKOF. AT ROTATION, THE RIPPLING GLYCOL HAD RENDERED THE WINDSHIELD COMPLETELY OPAQUE. IT WASN'T UNTIL WE WERE PASSING 15000-20000 FT THAT A REASONABLE GOOD VIEW OF THE WORLD WAS AGAIN AVAILABLE TO US. IN THE FUTURE, DURING GND DEICING, THERE WILL BE NO APPLICATION OF DEICE FLUID ON MY WINDSHIELD. OTHER WAYS OF WINDSHIELD SNOW/CONTAMINATION REMOVAL WOULD INCLUDE: WIPING IT CLR WITH A GLOVED HAND OR RAG. DURING TAXI AND PRIOR TO TKOF, THE CREW WILL QUITE READILY SEE IF THEIR WINDSHIELD IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE REGS.

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.