B737-700 crew was pressured not to require aircraft deicing after detecting frost on the aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	564201
Time
Date	200210
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : isp.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 14000
ASRS Report	564201
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Deice. On originator flight, ATIS was clear, winds at 340 degrees and 3 KTS, temperature 20 degree C. Frost on wings, fuselage, empennage, deicing necessary. Called dispatch/maintenance to inform dispatch and get tracking number from maintenance. Aircraft had not previously been restr to 270 KTS. Problem: upon reaching maintenance through dispatch, I got the very clear and distinct impression from maintenance that they really didn't want me to deice 'unless it is absolutely necessary.' if I did deice, could we only deice the wings and not the tail to preclude having to restrict the aircraft and preclude maintenance on the tail to remove the restr. In other words, pressure was being applied not to deice. All maintenance needs to do is provide the tracking number -- nothing else. I hope this is only one individual in maintenance and not a maintenance policy or company policy. After reading this, the first officer reminded me that the deicing crew had been told not to deice until the flight crew had arrived and contacted maintenance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CREW WAS PRESSURED NOT TO REQUIRE ACFT DEICING AFTER DETECTING FROST ON THE ACFT.

Narrative: DEICE. ON ORIGINATOR FLT, ATIS WAS CLR, WINDS AT 340 DEGS AND 3 KTS, TEMP 20 DEG C. FROST ON WINGS, FUSELAGE, EMPENNAGE, DEICING NECESSARY. CALLED DISPATCH/MAINT TO INFORM DISPATCH AND GET TRACKING NUMBER FROM MAINT. ACFT HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN RESTR TO 270 KTS. PROB: UPON REACHING MAINT THROUGH DISPATCH, I GOT THE VERY CLR AND DISTINCT IMPRESSION FROM MAINT THAT THEY REALLY DIDN'T WANT ME TO DEICE 'UNLESS IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.' IF I DID DEICE, COULD WE ONLY DEICE THE WINGS AND NOT THE TAIL TO PRECLUDE HAVING TO RESTRICT THE ACFT AND PRECLUDE MAINT ON THE TAIL TO REMOVE THE RESTR. IN OTHER WORDS, PRESSURE WAS BEING APPLIED NOT TO DEICE. ALL MAINT NEEDS TO DO IS PROVIDE THE TRACKING NUMBER -- NOTHING ELSE. I HOPE THIS IS ONLY ONE INDIVIDUAL IN MAINT AND NOT A MAINT POLICY OR COMPANY POLICY. AFTER READING THIS, THE FO REMINDED ME THAT THE DEICING CREW HAD BEEN TOLD NOT TO DEICE UNTIL THE FLC HAD ARRIVED AND CONTACTED MAINT.

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.