Narrative:

After calling on the phone for deicing; our deicer showed up at the cockpit door and said something that neither of us understood. When I asked him to repeat himself; he asked only if we wanted him to start at the back or the front of the aircraft. I replied that I didn't care about that; but wanted both type I and iv applied. This was about 10 mins prior to departure XA35. At around XA55 he called on the deice frequency and said that our deicing was complete; and that holdover time began at XA45. Shortly after that; another voice called us on the deice frequency and said that due to an equipment problem; we would have to be completely deiced again. I made PA explaining the further delay. Shortly after that; a commuting captain called me in the cockpit on the cabin interphone. He said that it appeared to him that type iv had been applied; followed by type I. I called our deicer on the deice frequency and asked if that was true; he said that the original rookie deicer had been removed from the job; and that he; a supervisor; would re-do the entire process. About 15 mins later; he called on the deice frequency to say that we were now properly deiced and ready to go. He did not give the new holdover time; but since the snow had by then stopped; I considered the holdover time to be currently suspended. We called ramp to get our push crew. When the crew came out; one of them got on the interphone and said that he was a certified deicer; and that our aircraft was not ready to go as there was snow and ice on the tail. After several calls to ramp about the problem; we were deiced for a 3RD time; again by a supervisor. I don't know if it was the same supervisor or not. As we discussed the whole scene later; the first officer realized that he may have heard the original deicer ask if we wanted him to use type I or iv first! It appears to me that he asked us because he did not know the difference between type I and type iv. I find it appalling that air carrier training could certify somebody who didn't know the difference between type I and type iv. I find it frightening that a supervisor; who was supposedly acting as quality assurance; could send us out to fly with snow and ice on our tail.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CAPT RPTS PROBS WITH DEICE CREW; WHICH REQUIRED THREE ATTEMPTS TO GET THE JOB DONE PROPERLY.

Narrative: AFTER CALLING ON THE PHONE FOR DEICING; OUR DEICER SHOWED UP AT THE COCKPIT DOOR AND SAID SOMETHING THAT NEITHER OF US UNDERSTOOD. WHEN I ASKED HIM TO REPEAT HIMSELF; HE ASKED ONLY IF WE WANTED HIM TO START AT THE BACK OR THE FRONT OF THE ACFT. I REPLIED THAT I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT THAT; BUT WANTED BOTH TYPE I AND IV APPLIED. THIS WAS ABOUT 10 MINS PRIOR TO DEP XA35. AT AROUND XA55 HE CALLED ON THE DEICE FREQ AND SAID THAT OUR DEICING WAS COMPLETE; AND THAT HOLDOVER TIME BEGAN AT XA45. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; ANOTHER VOICE CALLED US ON THE DEICE FREQ AND SAID THAT DUE TO AN EQUIPMENT PROB; WE WOULD HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY DEICED AGAIN. I MADE PA EXPLAINING THE FURTHER DELAY. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; A COMMUTING CAPT CALLED ME IN THE COCKPIT ON THE CABIN INTERPHONE. HE SAID THAT IT APPEARED TO HIM THAT TYPE IV HAD BEEN APPLIED; FOLLOWED BY TYPE I. I CALLED OUR DEICER ON THE DEICE FREQ AND ASKED IF THAT WAS TRUE; HE SAID THAT THE ORIGINAL ROOKIE DEICER HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE JOB; AND THAT HE; A SUPVR; WOULD RE-DO THE ENTIRE PROCESS. ABOUT 15 MINS LATER; HE CALLED ON THE DEICE FREQ TO SAY THAT WE WERE NOW PROPERLY DEICED AND READY TO GO. HE DID NOT GIVE THE NEW HOLDOVER TIME; BUT SINCE THE SNOW HAD BY THEN STOPPED; I CONSIDERED THE HOLDOVER TIME TO BE CURRENTLY SUSPENDED. WE CALLED RAMP TO GET OUR PUSH CREW. WHEN THE CREW CAME OUT; ONE OF THEM GOT ON THE INTERPHONE AND SAID THAT HE WAS A CERTIFIED DEICER; AND THAT OUR ACFT WAS NOT READY TO GO AS THERE WAS SNOW AND ICE ON THE TAIL. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS TO RAMP ABOUT THE PROB; WE WERE DEICED FOR A 3RD TIME; AGAIN BY A SUPVR. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE SAME SUPVR OR NOT. AS WE DISCUSSED THE WHOLE SCENE LATER; THE FO REALIZED THAT HE MAY HAVE HEARD THE ORIGINAL DEICER ASK IF WE WANTED HIM TO USE TYPE I OR IV FIRST! IT APPEARS TO ME THAT HE ASKED US BECAUSE HE DID NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TYPE I AND TYPE IV. I FIND IT APPALLING THAT ACR TRAINING COULD CERTIFY SOMEBODY WHO DIDN'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TYPE I AND TYPE IV. I FIND IT FRIGHTENING THAT A SUPVR; WHO WAS SUPPOSEDLY ACTING AS QUALITY ASSURANCE; COULD SEND US OUT TO FLY WITH SNOW AND ICE ON OUR TAIL.

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.