A deice ground crew failed to remove snow from the fuselage until requested to do so by flight crew.

Attributes
ACN	644526
Time
Date	200501
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Ice Snow
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	644526
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Weather Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Flight crew arrived to aircraft in ord for departure. During walkaround; first officer noticed snow and ice accumulation on entire aircraft due to the fact it spent the night in ord during a snowstorm. Aircraft was boarded and closed out normally and crew scheduled aircraft for deice. Deice crew arrived and was told to deice with type I/iv fluid and that aircraft was prepared and ready. After approximately 8 mins; deice crew notified crew that the aircraft was clean; sprayed with type I/iv fluid; and given holdover time. During the time that the crew was waiting for pushback crew; the captain observed out of side window a reflection of the aircraft on a jetbridge window. It was observed at that time that none of the snow covering the top of the aircraft had been removed or sprayed. Crew notified the deice manager and a crew was sent back to aircraft. When crew re-established communication with deice crew; they were asked if they had seen the snow and ice on the aircraft. The crew notified ord assistant chief pilot about situation; then deice crew asked if we wanted snow removed from top of aircraft also. Flight crew informed deice crew that they should not have given an aircraft 'clean and clear to depart' signal with the aircraft in this condition; and snow and ice must be removed from entire aircraft (including top fuselage) prior to departure. By this time; ord assistant chief pilot; ramp manager; and crew chief were all at the aircraft and observed deice crew clean the aircraft. Flight crew was again given an all clear; but due to holdover time requirement; flight crew had to request yet another application to wings and tail to ensure proper protection. Bottom line: deice crew certified an aircraft for departure with an unsafe condition which could have resulted in an accident. Additional notes: flight crew was in another situation this week at another station (rst) where aircraft was completely covered in ice and we had to specifically ask to get whole aircraft cleaned before deice crew considered spraying anything other than flight surfaces and removing all ice on aircraft. I also observed an aircraft departing deice area in ord this week with patch of snow and ice accumulation on upper forward fuselage.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEICE GND CREW FAILED TO REMOVE SNOW FROM THE FUSELAGE UNTIL REQUESTED TO DO SO BY FLT CREW.

Narrative: FLT CREW ARRIVED TO ACFT IN ORD FOR DEP. DURING WALKAROUND; FO NOTICED SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATION ON ENTIRE ACFT DUE TO THE FACT IT SPENT THE NIGHT IN ORD DURING A SNOWSTORM. ACFT WAS BOARDED AND CLOSED OUT NORMALLY AND CREW SCHEDULED ACFT FOR DEICE. DEICE CREW ARRIVED AND WAS TOLD TO DEICE WITH TYPE I/IV FLUID AND THAT ACFT WAS PREPARED AND READY. AFTER APPROX 8 MINS; DEICE CREW NOTIFIED CREW THAT THE ACFT WAS CLEAN; SPRAYED WITH TYPE I/IV FLUID; AND GIVEN HOLDOVER TIME. DURING THE TIME THAT THE CREW WAS WAITING FOR PUSHBACK CREW; THE CAPT OBSERVED OUT OF SIDE WINDOW A REFLECTION OF THE ACFT ON A JETBRIDGE WINDOW. IT WAS OBSERVED AT THAT TIME THAT NONE OF THE SNOW COVERING THE TOP OF THE ACFT HAD BEEN REMOVED OR SPRAYED. CREW NOTIFIED THE DEICE MGR AND A CREW WAS SENT BACK TO ACFT. WHEN CREW RE-ESTABLISHED COM WITH DEICE CREW; THEY WERE ASKED IF THEY HAD SEEN THE SNOW AND ICE ON THE ACFT. THE CREW NOTIFIED ORD ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT ABOUT SIT; THEN DEICE CREW ASKED IF WE WANTED SNOW REMOVED FROM TOP OF ACFT ALSO. FLT CREW INFORMED DEICE CREW THAT THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN AN ACFT 'CLEAN AND CLR TO DEPART' SIGNAL WITH THE ACFT IN THIS CONDITION; AND SNOW AND ICE MUST BE REMOVED FROM ENTIRE ACFT (INCLUDING TOP FUSELAGE) PRIOR TO DEP. BY THIS TIME; ORD ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT; RAMP MGR; AND CREW CHIEF WERE ALL AT THE ACFT AND OBSERVED DEICE CREW CLEAN THE ACFT. FLT CREW WAS AGAIN GIVEN AN ALL CLR; BUT DUE TO HOLDOVER TIME REQUIREMENT; FLT CREW HAD TO REQUEST YET ANOTHER APPLICATION TO WINGS AND TAIL TO ENSURE PROPER PROTECTION. BOTTOM LINE: DEICE CREW CERTIFIED AN ACFT FOR DEP WITH AN UNSAFE CONDITION WHICH COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. ADDITIONAL NOTES: FLT CREW WAS IN ANOTHER SIT THIS WK AT ANOTHER STATION (RST) WHERE ACFT WAS COMPLETELY COVERED IN ICE AND WE HAD TO SPECIFICALLY ASK TO GET WHOLE ACFT CLEANED BEFORE DEICE CREW CONSIDERED SPRAYING ANYTHING OTHER THAN FLT SURFACES AND REMOVING ALL ICE ON ACFT. I ALSO OBSERVED AN ACFT DEPARTING DEICE AREA IN ORD THIS WK WITH PATCH OF SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATION ON UPPER FORWARD FUSELAGE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.