Narrative:

Arrived at aircraft with frost on the wings. First cold day with frost of the winter. Passenger loading passed our push time for passenger from a delayed flight being brought to our flight. Pushed from gate but unable to reach operations on radio. Asked if anybody was on frequency that could hear us. Another company flight answered and relayed to operations that we were trying to reach them. We by then had pushed into the alley and asked to be deiced. Still unable to reach operations; ramp tower had us taxi around the north concourse to make way for other aircraft arriving and departing. Upon returning to our original pushed to point; we called operations again. Company operations said 'we will send someone out to see if you need deiced.' I told them that they could send whoever they wanted; but to make sure they have a deice truck because I'm looking at frost on my wings right now. Only 1 of 11 deice trucks were in use that morning. We were then told to return to the gate area to be deiced. During deicing; the mechanic on the snorkel noticed we had a bad passenger window and asked us to be towed into the gate; which we did. All passenger were taken off so maintenance could pressurize for a leak check. The window was found to be leaking and replaced. Deice the aircraft in the morning before passenger are boarded instead of last min causing delays and a feeling of being rushed. Fix the communications problem that has been present for far too long.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW HAS DIFFICULTIES COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMPANY OPS TO COORD DEICING.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT ACFT WITH FROST ON THE WINGS. FIRST COLD DAY WITH FROST OF THE WINTER. PAX LOADING PASSED OUR PUSH TIME FOR PAX FROM A DELAYED FLT BEING BROUGHT TO OUR FLT. PUSHED FROM GATE BUT UNABLE TO REACH OPS ON RADIO. ASKED IF ANYBODY WAS ON FREQ THAT COULD HEAR US. ANOTHER COMPANY FLT ANSWERED AND RELAYED TO OPS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO REACH THEM. WE BY THEN HAD PUSHED INTO THE ALLEY AND ASKED TO BE DEICED. STILL UNABLE TO REACH OPS; RAMP TWR HAD US TAXI AROUND THE N CONCOURSE TO MAKE WAY FOR OTHER ACFT ARRIVING AND DEPARTING. UPON RETURNING TO OUR ORIGINAL PUSHED TO POINT; WE CALLED OPS AGAIN. COMPANY OPS SAID 'WE WILL SEND SOMEONE OUT TO SEE IF YOU NEED DEICED.' I TOLD THEM THAT THEY COULD SEND WHOEVER THEY WANTED; BUT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A DEICE TRUCK BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT FROST ON MY WINGS RIGHT NOW. ONLY 1 OF 11 DEICE TRUCKS WERE IN USE THAT MORNING. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO RETURN TO THE GATE AREA TO BE DEICED. DURING DEICING; THE MECH ON THE SNORKEL NOTICED WE HAD A BAD PAX WINDOW AND ASKED US TO BE TOWED INTO THE GATE; WHICH WE DID. ALL PAX WERE TAKEN OFF SO MAINT COULD PRESSURIZE FOR A LEAK CHK. THE WINDOW WAS FOUND TO BE LEAKING AND REPLACED. DEICE THE ACFT IN THE MORNING BEFORE PAX ARE BOARDED INSTEAD OF LAST MIN CAUSING DELAYS AND A FEELING OF BEING RUSHED. FIX THE COMS PROB THAT HAS BEEN PRESENT FOR FAR TOO LONG.

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.