B737-300 crew allegedly departed with frost on the wings.

Attributes
ACN	565040
Time
Date	200211
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ama.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10300 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	565040
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150
ASRS Report	565046
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft not deiced prior to departure. I was a cockpit jump seater seated in the cabin of the aircraft. The aircraft was pushed back and began to taxi without being deiced, I looked out and observed that there was frost adhering to the top side of right wing from the inboard portion of the aileron out to the tip. I proceeded forward and established communications with the flight deck and advised them of the frost on the wing and returned to my seat. The first officer came back and looked at the wings and returned to the cockpit and made an announcement that someone had concerns about frost on the wings and that it was just condensation from refueling the aircraft. The aircraft then departed without incident. The frost did not sublimate until approximately 10000 ft (estimated). There was a cpr pilot seated next to me who also saw the frost and expressed concern. I advised the crew upon arrival that I would file a report and suggested that they do the same. Supplemental information from acn 565046: just prior to taking the runway for departure, the flight attendant call rang. The first officer answered and was told a passenger sitting next to a jump seat rider (company pilot) was concerned about frost on the wings. The first officer had previously, upon completion of his preflight, made a point of telling me the aircraft was good and did not need deice. After the call, I sent the first officer back to check the wings by looking out the cabin window. I am very reluctant to leave the cockpit post sep/tue. The first officer returned and said the wings looked good to him. I made the decision to continue our takeoff. The departure was normal and we continued our trip. At the time of the call, I thought it was the flight attendant calling to report what the passenger had said to the jump seater/cabin rider. Later, I learned it was the jump seat rider talking with the first officer. Had I realized this, I would have talked with the jump seat cabin rider and given the information more creditability. Later, talking with the jump seat/cabin rider, it was his opinion that there was some frost on the outer portion of the wing. Had I talked directly with the jump seat/cabin rider before takeoff, I would have asked his opinion and if there was frost he could see, returned to the ramp for deicing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW ALLEGEDLY DEPARTED WITH FROST ON THE WINGS.

Narrative: ACFT NOT DEICED PRIOR TO DEP. I WAS A COCKPIT JUMP SEATER SEATED IN THE CABIN OF THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS PUSHED BACK AND BEGAN TO TAXI WITHOUT BEING DEICED, I LOOKED OUT AND OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS FROST ADHERING TO THE TOP SIDE OF R WING FROM THE INBOARD PORTION OF THE AILERON OUT TO THE TIP. I PROCEEDED FORWARD AND ESTABLISHED COMS WITH THE FLT DECK AND ADVISED THEM OF THE FROST ON THE WING AND RETURNED TO MY SEAT. THE FO CAME BACK AND LOOKED AT THE WINGS AND RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT SOMEONE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT FROST ON THE WINGS AND THAT IT WAS JUST CONDENSATION FROM REFUELING THE ACFT. THE ACFT THEN DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE FROST DID NOT SUBLIMATE UNTIL APPROX 10000 FT (ESTIMATED). THERE WAS A CPR PLT SEATED NEXT TO ME WHO ALSO SAW THE FROST AND EXPRESSED CONCERN. I ADVISED THE CREW UPON ARR THAT I WOULD FILE A RPT AND SUGGESTED THAT THEY DO THE SAME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 565046: JUST PRIOR TO TAKING THE RWY FOR DEP, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALL RANG. THE FO ANSWERED AND WAS TOLD A PAX SITTING NEXT TO A JUMP SEAT RIDER (COMPANY PLT) WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FROST ON THE WINGS. THE FO HAD PREVIOUSLY, UPON COMPLETION OF HIS PREFLT, MADE A POINT OF TELLING ME THE ACFT WAS GOOD AND DID NOT NEED DEICE. AFTER THE CALL, I SENT THE FO BACK TO CHK THE WINGS BY LOOKING OUT THE CABIN WINDOW. I AM VERY RELUCTANT TO LEAVE THE COCKPIT POST SEP/TUE. THE FO RETURNED AND SAID THE WINGS LOOKED GOOD TO HIM. I MADE THE DECISION TO CONTINUE OUR TKOF. THE DEP WAS NORMAL AND WE CONTINUED OUR TRIP. AT THE TIME OF THE CALL, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLING TO RPT WHAT THE PAX HAD SAID TO THE JUMP SEATER/CABIN RIDER. LATER, I LEARNED IT WAS THE JUMP SEAT RIDER TALKING WITH THE FO. HAD I REALIZED THIS, I WOULD HAVE TALKED WITH THE JUMP SEAT CABIN RIDER AND GIVEN THE INFO MORE CREDITABILITY. LATER, TALKING WITH THE JUMP SEAT/CABIN RIDER, IT WAS HIS OPINION THAT THERE WAS SOME FROST ON THE OUTER PORTION OF THE WING. HAD I TALKED DIRECTLY WITH THE JUMP SEAT/CABIN RIDER BEFORE TKOF, I WOULD HAVE ASKED HIS OPINION AND IF THERE WAS FROST HE COULD SEE, RETURNED TO THE RAMP FOR DEICING.

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.