Narrative:

Deicing problems in lhr. The deicing equipment and the training of the certified deicers is inadequate and unsafe at lhr. After a 4 hour wait on the gate a deicer finally showed up. Then after more than 30 mins of work on the aircraft, he had to quit, as they ran out of fluid in a truck that had just been filled. Another truck arrived within 30 mins, reported the job to be complete with all the proper terminology and departed. As we began to push back, flight attendants notified us that passenger were reporting ice on the wings. First officer confirmed we did have ice on both wings. The deicers were recalled after another delay, and they reapplied more fluid in a spray pattern from a long distance that was ineffective as observed by the first officer. Again, the wings were reported to be clear. Once again, we told the deicer it was not sufficient and pointed out to him where the ice was. The ice was finally removed on the 4TH attempt. Only alert, observant passenger and repeated insistence on my part prevented us from departing with an unsafe aircraft. In my opinion, the equipment that is being used at lhr for deicing is totally inadequate for operation on the B777. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: snow had been falling for about 4 hours. The temperature was just at freezing. Snow had stopped when deicing had begun. The captain reports all air carrier deicing at egll is handled by contract crews. They are not employees of the air carrier. Even thought the air carrier orders deicing equipment appropriate to the aircraft, the contract deicer shows up with only 1 truck. In this case, the cherry picker deice truck was broken, so they were unable to properly deice the wings. The flight crew was communicating with air carrier ramp controller. He was unable to impress the contract provider that the job was not getting done. The captain reported the incident to his chief pilot, and with his support, the company is undertaking a review of the deicing contract provider.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777-200 CREW WAS NOT PROPERLY DEICED AT EGLL.

Narrative: DEICING PROBS IN LHR. THE DEICING EQUIP AND THE TRAINING OF THE CERTIFIED DEICERS IS INADEQUATE AND UNSAFE AT LHR. AFTER A 4 HR WAIT ON THE GATE A DEICER FINALLY SHOWED UP. THEN AFTER MORE THAN 30 MINS OF WORK ON THE ACFT, HE HAD TO QUIT, AS THEY RAN OUT OF FLUID IN A TRUCK THAT HAD JUST BEEN FILLED. ANOTHER TRUCK ARRIVED WITHIN 30 MINS, RPTED THE JOB TO BE COMPLETE WITH ALL THE PROPER TERMINOLOGY AND DEPARTED. AS WE BEGAN TO PUSH BACK, FLT ATTENDANTS NOTIFIED US THAT PAX WERE RPTING ICE ON THE WINGS. FO CONFIRMED WE DID HAVE ICE ON BOTH WINGS. THE DEICERS WERE RECALLED AFTER ANOTHER DELAY, AND THEY REAPPLIED MORE FLUID IN A SPRAY PATTERN FROM A LONG DISTANCE THAT WAS INEFFECTIVE AS OBSERVED BY THE FO. AGAIN, THE WINGS WERE RPTED TO BE CLR. ONCE AGAIN, WE TOLD THE DEICER IT WAS NOT SUFFICIENT AND POINTED OUT TO HIM WHERE THE ICE WAS. THE ICE WAS FINALLY REMOVED ON THE 4TH ATTEMPT. ONLY ALERT, OBSERVANT PAX AND REPEATED INSISTENCE ON MY PART PREVENTED US FROM DEPARTING WITH AN UNSAFE ACFT. IN MY OPINION, THE EQUIP THAT IS BEING USED AT LHR FOR DEICING IS TOTALLY INADEQUATE FOR OP ON THE B777. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: SNOW HAD BEEN FALLING FOR ABOUT 4 HRS. THE TEMP WAS JUST AT FREEZING. SNOW HAD STOPPED WHEN DEICING HAD BEGUN. THE CAPT RPTS ALL ACR DEICING AT EGLL IS HANDLED BY CONTRACT CREWS. THEY ARE NOT EMPLOYEES OF THE ACR. EVEN THOUGHT THE ACR ORDERS DEICING EQUIP APPROPRIATE TO THE ACFT, THE CONTRACT DEICER SHOWS UP WITH ONLY 1 TRUCK. IN THIS CASE, THE CHERRY PICKER DEICE TRUCK WAS BROKEN, SO THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROPERLY DEICE THE WINGS. THE FLC WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ACR RAMP CTLR. HE WAS UNABLE TO IMPRESS THE CONTRACT PROVIDER THAT THE JOB WAS NOT GETTING DONE. THE CAPT RPTED THE INCIDENT TO HIS CHIEF PLT, AND WITH HIS SUPPORT, THE COMPANY IS UNDERTAKING A REVIEW OF THE DEICING CONTRACT PROVIDER.

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.