Narrative:

We were leaving on the first flight of the day for ourselves and operations. WX was clear with temperature 0 degrees C. I went to operations for paperwork while first officer went directly to aircraft to accomplish preflight/walkaround. If we needed deicing it would be done just off the gate. Arriving at aircraft I accomplished preflight duties. First officer never mentioned any ice on aircraft or need for deicing. On taxi out; flight attendant called to say a deadheading pilot reported frost on wings. He got on the interphone and idented himself as a pilot deadheading and observed frost on the wings. I asked the first officer if he had noticed any ice on the aircraft and he said 'no.' we taxied back to gate for deicing following deicing procedures. Takeoff; en route and landing were normal. Poor lighting during predawn darkness restr aircraft visibility. Nevertheless; I should have been more proactive by asking the first officer about aircraft ice. Supplemental information from acn 687210: I was riding as a passenger. Prior to pushback I noticed a significant amount of frost on the outboard third of the right wing. This covered the wing; spoiler panels and aileron. I assumed the crew was aware of the situation and that the aircraft would be deiced prior to flight. It became apparent that the crew did not know about the frost when they started engines and joined the taxiway for departure on runway 34. I went to the aft galley; called the cockpit; idented myself as a deadheading pilot and explained the situation. The aircraft returned to the gate and was deiced. The flight then proceeded without further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW; WHILE TAXIING TO TKOF; IS NOTIFIED BY A DEADHEADING PLT RIDING IN THE CABIN THAT HE OBSERVED FROST ON THE WING'S UPPER SURFACE. FLT CREW RETURNS TO THE GATE AND THE ACFT IS DEICED.

Narrative: WE WERE LEAVING ON THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY FOR OURSELVES AND OPS. WX WAS CLR WITH TEMP 0 DEGS C. I WENT TO OPS FOR PAPERWORK WHILE FO WENT DIRECTLY TO ACFT TO ACCOMPLISH PREFLT/WALKAROUND. IF WE NEEDED DEICING IT WOULD BE DONE JUST OFF THE GATE. ARRIVING AT ACFT I ACCOMPLISHED PREFLT DUTIES. FO NEVER MENTIONED ANY ICE ON ACFT OR NEED FOR DEICING. ON TAXI OUT; FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO SAY A DEADHEADING PLT RPTED FROST ON WINGS. HE GOT ON THE INTERPHONE AND IDENTED HIMSELF AS A PLT DEADHEADING AND OBSERVED FROST ON THE WINGS. I ASKED THE FO IF HE HAD NOTICED ANY ICE ON THE ACFT AND HE SAID 'NO.' WE TAXIED BACK TO GATE FOR DEICING FOLLOWING DEICING PROCS. TKOF; ENRTE AND LNDG WERE NORMAL. POOR LIGHTING DURING PREDAWN DARKNESS RESTR ACFT VISIBILITY. NEVERTHELESS; I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROACTIVE BY ASKING THE FO ABOUT ACFT ICE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 687210: I WAS RIDING AS A PAX. PRIOR TO PUSHBACK I NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FROST ON THE OUTBOARD THIRD OF THE R WING. THIS COVERED THE WING; SPOILER PANELS AND AILERON. I ASSUMED THE CREW WAS AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND THAT THE ACFT WOULD BE DEICED PRIOR TO FLT. IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE CREW DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE FROST WHEN THEY STARTED ENGS AND JOINED THE TXWY FOR DEP ON RWY 34. I WENT TO THE AFT GALLEY; CALLED THE COCKPIT; IDENTED MYSELF AS A DEADHEADING PLT AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. THE ACFT RETURNED TO THE GATE AND WAS DEICED. THE FLT THEN PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.