B737-300 flight crew has ice and snow contamination on aircraft at cle; after being deiced.

Attributes
ACN	719247
Time
Date	200612
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cle.airport
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 131 flight time type : 131
ASRS Report	719247
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 294 flight time type : 4692
ASRS Report	719246
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3 ground crew
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

After taxi out to the deice pad in cle; the deice run-in lines to the 6 deice pads were hard to distinguish; and there was some confusion on the pads numbering system. However; the big problem was that after deicing; the iceman cleared us to taxi out even though we were still contaminated with 5-6 inches of snow/ice on top of the fuselage. From the cockpit; neither the first officer nor I could see any of the remaining contamination; and the wings looked good from the cockpit. The company rampers saw us taxi to the runway for takeoff and contacted the cle tower to get us to call back to operations. After we called; they said that we were still contaminated; and we then taxied back to the gate to refuel and took a look at the top of the fuselage. I confirmed at the gate that we did have up to 6 inches of snow left on top of our aircraft; even though the first officer had confirmed with iceman that we were 'clean and clear' prior to taxing out of the deice pad. The consequences of this contamination could have been dire without the vigilance of our outstanding rampers at cle. The cle tower did a very good job in assisting us with this situation. Additional training of the deice crews with emphasis on the consequences of cutting corners needs to be accomplished before the next snowfall in cle.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW HAS ICE AND SNOW CONTAMINATION ON ACFT AT CLE; AFTER BEING DEICED.

Narrative: AFTER TAXI OUT TO THE DEICE PAD IN CLE; THE DEICE RUN-IN LINES TO THE 6 DEICE PADS WERE HARD TO DISTINGUISH; AND THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ON THE PADS NUMBERING SYS. HOWEVER; THE BIG PROB WAS THAT AFTER DEICING; THE ICEMAN CLRED US TO TAXI OUT EVEN THOUGH WE WERE STILL CONTAMINATED WITH 5-6 INCHES OF SNOW/ICE ON TOP OF THE FUSELAGE. FROM THE COCKPIT; NEITHER THE FO NOR I COULD SEE ANY OF THE REMAINING CONTAMINATION; AND THE WINGS LOOKED GOOD FROM THE COCKPIT. THE COMPANY RAMPERS SAW US TAXI TO THE RWY FOR TKOF AND CONTACTED THE CLE TWR TO GET US TO CALL BACK TO OPS. AFTER WE CALLED; THEY SAID THAT WE WERE STILL CONTAMINATED; AND WE THEN TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE TO REFUEL AND TOOK A LOOK AT THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE. I CONFIRMED AT THE GATE THAT WE DID HAVE UP TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW LEFT ON TOP OF OUR ACFT; EVEN THOUGH THE FO HAD CONFIRMED WITH ICEMAN THAT WE WERE 'CLEAN AND CLEAR' PRIOR TO TAXING OUT OF THE DEICE PAD. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS CONTAMINATION COULD HAVE BEEN DIRE WITHOUT THE VIGILANCE OF OUR OUTSTANDING RAMPERS AT CLE. THE CLE TWR DID A VERY GOOD JOB IN ASSISTING US WITH THIS SITUATION. ADDITIONAL TRAINING OF THE DEICE CREWS WITH EMPHASIS ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF CUTTING CORNERS NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE THE NEXT SNOWFALL IN CLE.

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.