Narrative:

I was the first officer on a morning kick-off flight from ege to dfw. It was a clear, cold, sunny morning (below freezing) at eagle county airport that had no reports of precipitation since we arrived for our layover the previous day. In my inspection of the aircraft during the walkaround, which I pride myself on being thorough at until this incident, I found no signs of frost or ice on the undercarriage or underside of the wings. Even after my walkaround when the ground men asked if we needed to be deiced, did I feel the procedure was necessary. Start-up and taxi out were uneventful until we were at the hold short of the runway and we received a call from the back. The flight attendant informed us that one of our pilots non-revenuing in the back noticed frost on the top side of the wings. I'm sure the look I gave my captain (both embarrassed and dejected) indicated to him that I didn't look on the top part of the wings. We returned to the line for deicing and eventually flew an uneventful flight back to dfw. Any lessons learned? Plenty! First and foremost: don't assume anything. A profession that's inherently dangerous should leave nothing to chance. Granted, it was clear and sunny. But it was also cold. A condition we don't always associate with the accumulation of ice. My failure was to assume that if the area below the wings was frost-free, then the top of the wings must be the same. I do make it a point on my walkarounds to look at the top of the wings for any sign of frost or panels not smooth on the wings. However, today for whatever reason (lack of attention to detail for one), I failed to do so. Also, I think it's important to include the captain in the preflight process. Almost every captain I've flown with (including this captain) asks 'how's the outside look?' on my return to the cockpit from my walkaround. The decision to deice an airplane is the captain's decision. I failed to include him in that decision making process. I'm sure I'm not alone as a first officer who failed to pass on information from my walkaround to the captain regarding cut tires, blue streaks from the lavatory, or queries from ground personnel regarding deicing. Thinking that from my many strolls around the aircraft, these discrepancies are well within limits. That's for the captain to decide. If I would have told him that I was asked if we needed to be deiced, further discussion on the subject would have concluded that I didn't check the top of the wings. A situation that if it would have been left undiscovered (especially in that 'hit city') could have proved disastrous. Luckily for all involved, this situation resulted in a severely bruised ego for one said first officer. Kudos to the non-revenuing captain for being a pilot while sitting in the back of the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPER PREFLT OF A B757-200 RESULTS IN ACFT RETURN TO GATE FOR DEICING PRIOR TO TKOF FROM EGE, CO.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON A MORNING KICK-OFF FLT FROM EGE TO DFW. IT WAS A CLR, COLD, SUNNY MORNING (BELOW FREEZING) AT EAGLE COUNTY ARPT THAT HAD NO RPTS OF PRECIP SINCE WE ARRIVED FOR OUR LAYOVER THE PREVIOUS DAY. IN MY INSPECTION OF THE ACFT DURING THE WALKAROUND, WHICH I PRIDE MYSELF ON BEING THOROUGH AT UNTIL THIS INCIDENT, I FOUND NO SIGNS OF FROST OR ICE ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE OR UNDERSIDE OF THE WINGS. EVEN AFTER MY WALKAROUND WHEN THE GND MEN ASKED IF WE NEEDED TO BE DEICED, DID I FEEL THE PROC WAS NECESSARY. START-UP AND TAXI OUT WERE UNEVENTFUL UNTIL WE WERE AT THE HOLD SHORT OF THE RWY AND WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE BACK. THE FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT ONE OF OUR PLTS NON-REVENUING IN THE BACK NOTICED FROST ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE WINGS. I'M SURE THE LOOK I GAVE MY CAPT (BOTH EMBARRASSED AND DEJECTED) INDICATED TO HIM THAT I DIDN'T LOOK ON THE TOP PART OF THE WINGS. WE RETURNED TO THE LINE FOR DEICING AND EVENTUALLY FLEW AN UNEVENTFUL FLT BACK TO DFW. ANY LESSONS LEARNED? PLENTY! FIRST AND FOREMOST: DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING. A PROFESSION THAT'S INHERENTLY DANGEROUS SHOULD LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE. GRANTED, IT WAS CLR AND SUNNY. BUT IT WAS ALSO COLD. A CONDITION WE DON'T ALWAYS ASSOCIATE WITH THE ACCUMULATION OF ICE. MY FAILURE WAS TO ASSUME THAT IF THE AREA BELOW THE WINGS WAS FROST-FREE, THEN THE TOP OF THE WINGS MUST BE THE SAME. I DO MAKE IT A POINT ON MY WALKAROUNDS TO LOOK AT THE TOP OF THE WINGS FOR ANY SIGN OF FROST OR PANELS NOT SMOOTH ON THE WINGS. HOWEVER, TODAY FOR WHATEVER REASON (LACK OF ATTN TO DETAIL FOR ONE), I FAILED TO DO SO. ALSO, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE THE CAPT IN THE PREFLT PROCESS. ALMOST EVERY CAPT I'VE FLOWN WITH (INCLUDING THIS CAPT) ASKS 'HOW'S THE OUTSIDE LOOK?' ON MY RETURN TO THE COCKPIT FROM MY WALKAROUND. THE DECISION TO DEICE AN AIRPLANE IS THE CAPT'S DECISION. I FAILED TO INCLUDE HIM IN THAT DECISION MAKING PROCESS. I'M SURE I'M NOT ALONE AS A FO WHO FAILED TO PASS ON INFO FROM MY WALKAROUND TO THE CAPT REGARDING CUT TIRES, BLUE STREAKS FROM THE LAVATORY, OR QUERIES FROM GND PERSONNEL REGARDING DEICING. THINKING THAT FROM MY MANY STROLLS AROUND THE ACFT, THESE DISCREPANCIES ARE WELL WITHIN LIMITS. THAT'S FOR THE CAPT TO DECIDE. IF I WOULD HAVE TOLD HIM THAT I WAS ASKED IF WE NEEDED TO BE DEICED, FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE SUBJECT WOULD HAVE CONCLUDED THAT I DIDN'T CHK THE TOP OF THE WINGS. A SIT THAT IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT UNDISCOVERED (ESPECIALLY IN THAT 'HIT CITY') COULD HAVE PROVED DISASTROUS. LUCKILY FOR ALL INVOLVED, THIS SIT RESULTED IN A SEVERELY BRUISED EGO FOR ONE SAID FO. KUDOS TO THE NON-REVENUING CAPT FOR BEING A PLT WHILE SITTING IN THE BACK OF THE AIRPLANE.

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.