Narrative:

We were slightly late arriving into phl and we were aware of the impending snow arrival for the east coast area. Snowfall was in progress upon our phl arrival which did not cause any difficulty through parking. The deicing issues began after getting ready for this departure flight. First; there is no mention of the somewhat involved centralized deicing facility at all in our tailored airport page; or airport NOTAMS. The only reason we finally knew something like this facility existed was after we inquired about the 'gate' deicing. We were then told by operations personnel that a 'handout' was in operations if we 'wanted to come down and pick it up.' as we were slightly behind; we then had to digest this information when we could have already known of the procedures if something were previously provided to crews. Why isn't this information presented to all crews as are other unique procedures at other airports so crews can study this information before arrival/departure? Once we arrived at point #1 as instructed; most of the problems occurred. It seemed this entire deicing program was handled by a contractor to the airport. I understand this is not an ATC controled area; and cannot be controled by proper phraseology; but most if not all communications within the entire deicing procedure were very difficult to understand; both from a pronunciation standpoint as well as procedural. If this company is going to be 'moving' aircraft via radio instructions; then someone with an ATC backgnd needs to assist these folks pronto. We had barely set the brakes and begun configuring the aircraft for deicing and the deicing personnel were already asking us if the aircraft was ready. The instructions clearly state the crew is to advise when the aircraft is ready. Once the aircraft was ready the actual deicing that was performed was extremely thorough so kudos to the crews for this. Again; once the deicing was complete the communications difficulties began through terminology and pronunciation. Many of the xmissions were very weak. Even the pilot crew next to us commented that the nonstandard terminology needed to be fixed. Again; if some agency besides ATC is going to be instructing aircraft to move; then standard terminology needs to be used. A simple instruction such as 'deicing complete; taxi zulu; hold short of sierra; contact ground 121.9' is sufficient. Something similar to this was issued and the task was completed; but far less efficiently than what it could have been. Also; as soon as taxi instructions were given to us to start moving out of the deicing area; someone drove a truck right in front of the aircraft. I'm not sure where the supervision is stationed for this operation; but deicing personnel need to be advised that once the green taxi lights are turned on to commence aircraft movement; nothing is allowed in the path of the aircraft as it moves. The area is tight enough with the deicing cranes without having to be concerned about vehicles driving in front of an aircraft in heavy snow conditions at night. Again; the recommendation is to get this information into a published format; and fix the nonstandard phraseology and pronunciation problems associated with entry/exit into the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF A319 IS DISMAYED AT THE LACK OF PROCEDURAL STANDARDIZATION; PROFESSIONAL PHRASEOLOGY AND POOR RADIO TECHNIQUE OF CONTRACT DEICING PERSONNEL AT PHL.

Narrative: WE WERE SLIGHTLY LATE ARRIVING INTO PHL AND WE WERE AWARE OF THE IMPENDING SNOW ARR FOR THE EAST COAST AREA. SNOWFALL WAS IN PROGRESS UPON OUR PHL ARR WHICH DID NOT CAUSE ANY DIFFICULTY THROUGH PARKING. THE DEICING ISSUES BEGAN AFTER GETTING READY FOR THIS DEP FLT. FIRST; THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE SOMEWHAT INVOLVED CENTRALIZED DEICING FACILITY AT ALL IN OUR TAILORED ARPT PAGE; OR ARPT NOTAMS. THE ONLY REASON WE FINALLY KNEW SOMETHING LIKE THIS FACILITY EXISTED WAS AFTER WE INQUIRED ABOUT THE 'GATE' DEICING. WE WERE THEN TOLD BY OPS PERSONNEL THAT A 'HANDOUT' WAS IN OPS IF WE 'WANTED TO COME DOWN AND PICK IT UP.' AS WE WERE SLIGHTLY BEHIND; WE THEN HAD TO DIGEST THIS INFO WHEN WE COULD HAVE ALREADY KNOWN OF THE PROCS IF SOMETHING WERE PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED TO CREWS. WHY ISN'T THIS INFO PRESENTED TO ALL CREWS AS ARE OTHER UNIQUE PROCS AT OTHER ARPTS SO CREWS CAN STUDY THIS INFO BEFORE ARR/DEP? ONCE WE ARRIVED AT POINT #1 AS INSTRUCTED; MOST OF THE PROBS OCCURRED. IT SEEMED THIS ENTIRE DEICING PROGRAM WAS HANDLED BY A CONTRACTOR TO THE ARPT. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT AN ATC CTLED AREA; AND CANNOT BE CTLED BY PROPER PHRASEOLOGY; BUT MOST IF NOT ALL COMS WITHIN THE ENTIRE DEICING PROC WERE VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND; BOTH FROM A PRONUNCIATION STANDPOINT AS WELL AS PROCEDURAL. IF THIS COMPANY IS GOING TO BE 'MOVING' ACFT VIA RADIO INSTRUCTIONS; THEN SOMEONE WITH AN ATC BACKGND NEEDS TO ASSIST THESE FOLKS PRONTO. WE HAD BARELY SET THE BRAKES AND BEGUN CONFIGURING THE ACFT FOR DEICING AND THE DEICING PERSONNEL WERE ALREADY ASKING US IF THE ACFT WAS READY. THE INSTRUCTIONS CLRLY STATE THE CREW IS TO ADVISE WHEN THE ACFT IS READY. ONCE THE ACFT WAS READY THE ACTUAL DEICING THAT WAS PERFORMED WAS EXTREMELY THOROUGH SO KUDOS TO THE CREWS FOR THIS. AGAIN; ONCE THE DEICING WAS COMPLETE THE COMS DIFFICULTIES BEGAN THROUGH TERMINOLOGY AND PRONUNCIATION. MANY OF THE XMISSIONS WERE VERY WEAK. EVEN THE PLT CREW NEXT TO US COMMENTED THAT THE NONSTANDARD TERMINOLOGY NEEDED TO BE FIXED. AGAIN; IF SOME AGENCY BESIDES ATC IS GOING TO BE INSTRUCTING ACFT TO MOVE; THEN STANDARD TERMINOLOGY NEEDS TO BE USED. A SIMPLE INSTRUCTION SUCH AS 'DEICING COMPLETE; TAXI ZULU; HOLD SHORT OF SIERRA; CONTACT GND 121.9' IS SUFFICIENT. SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS WAS ISSUED AND THE TASK WAS COMPLETED; BUT FAR LESS EFFICIENTLY THAN WHAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN. ALSO; AS SOON AS TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN TO US TO START MOVING OUT OF THE DEICING AREA; SOMEONE DROVE A TRUCK RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE SUPERVISION IS STATIONED FOR THIS OP; BUT DEICING PERSONNEL NEED TO BE ADVISED THAT ONCE THE GREEN TAXI LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON TO COMMENCE ACFT MOVEMENT; NOTHING IS ALLOWED IN THE PATH OF THE ACFT AS IT MOVES. THE AREA IS TIGHT ENOUGH WITH THE DEICING CRANES WITHOUT HAVING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT VEHICLES DRIVING IN FRONT OF AN ACFT IN HVY SNOW CONDITIONS AT NIGHT. AGAIN; THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO GET THIS INFO INTO A PUBLISHED FORMAT; AND FIX THE NONSTANDARD PHRASEOLOGY AND PRONUNCIATION PROBS ASSOCIATED WITH ENTRY/EXIT INTO THE AREA.

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.