Narrative:

While preparing for departure from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2 on feb/sat/07; during the walkaround I was informed by an air carrier ramp crew man that we would get deiced with type I deice fluid first and then finish with type iv anti-ice fluid and talk to them on operations frequency. I responded that it sounded good and finished the walkaround. The deicing process was uneventful and the deicing crew informed us of the required information; including time started; type iv and anti-ice fluid used was kilfrost abc-south. We taxied out to the runway and were ready for takeoff in approximately 8 mins when a deadheading first officer checked our wings (prebriefed by captain) from the cabin and told us the wings were 'pretty dirty; they've got lots of snow on them.' it was snowing with about 1/2 SM visibility. Both the captain and I confirmed this by looking out our windows and seeing the deice fluid failing on the wing as snow adhered to the wing surface. We taxied back and informed operations that we needed to get deiced again; because there was snow on our wing and the anti-ice fluid was not working. 'The anti-ice fluid won't keep the snow from falling on the wings; it's not supposed to do that;' was the reply from a gentleman on the radio. We informed them we're coming back. The captain then had a discussion with the ramp crew; one of them being the individual that told me how they would deice us during the walkaround. They told the captain that this was definitely type iv and that it was the new 'environmentally friendly' type iv that has been tested and approved. I looked out at the airplane and the snow and ice under the wing area and noticed there was no green coloration of the snow; only orange; from which I inferred that there had been no application of type iv fluid; at least any green type iv fluid. I also noticed that there was no indication of any green fluid on the wing surface at all; which is very uncharacteristic of type iv fluid and its viscosity. In my experience with deicing and anti-icing operations; I am convinced that we did not get an application of type iv fluid at all. I was also concerned about the defensiveness of the 1 ramp crew man whom I talked to before deicing that was talking to the captain. It seems to me; just based on my experiences with this individual ramper/deicer; his demeanor; human nature and the other evidence; that someone at ZZZ1 knew they had either bad type iv; or no type iv; and they tried to do the best they could with what they had; and tried to pass it off on us; hoping we wouldn't notice; or that the snow wouldn't be that bad. This was definitely not type iv fluid and something went very wrong in ZZZ1 that evening. We ended up canceling the flight because they told us it was the only deicing fluid they had and that it was type iv. The visual wing check served the operation well; and prevented a possible fatal situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CAPT REPORTS AN ACR DE-ICE CREW'S FAILURE TO APPLY TYPE IV FLUID IN HEAVY SNOW BECAUSE THE FLUID WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FLT WAS CANCELED.

Narrative: WHILE PREPARING FOR DEP FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2 ON FEB/SAT/07; DURING THE WALKAROUND I WAS INFORMED BY AN ACR RAMP CREW MAN THAT WE WOULD GET DEICED WITH TYPE I DEICE FLUID FIRST AND THEN FINISH WITH TYPE IV ANTI-ICE FLUID AND TALK TO THEM ON OPS FREQ. I RESPONDED THAT IT SOUNDED GOOD AND FINISHED THE WALKAROUND. THE DEICING PROCESS WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE DEICING CREW INFORMED US OF THE REQUIRED INFO; INCLUDING TIME STARTED; TYPE IV AND ANTI-ICE FLUID USED WAS KILFROST ABC-S. WE TAXIED OUT TO THE RWY AND WERE READY FOR TKOF IN APPROX 8 MINS WHEN A DEADHEADING FO CHKED OUR WINGS (PREBRIEFED BY CAPT) FROM THE CABIN AND TOLD US THE WINGS WERE 'PRETTY DIRTY; THEY'VE GOT LOTS OF SNOW ON THEM.' IT WAS SNOWING WITH ABOUT 1/2 SM VISIBILITY. BOTH THE CAPT AND I CONFIRMED THIS BY LOOKING OUT OUR WINDOWS AND SEEING THE DEICE FLUID FAILING ON THE WING AS SNOW ADHERED TO THE WING SURFACE. WE TAXIED BACK AND INFORMED OPS THAT WE NEEDED TO GET DEICED AGAIN; BECAUSE THERE WAS SNOW ON OUR WING AND THE ANTI-ICE FLUID WAS NOT WORKING. 'THE ANTI-ICE FLUID WON'T KEEP THE SNOW FROM FALLING ON THE WINGS; IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT;' WAS THE REPLY FROM A GENTLEMAN ON THE RADIO. WE INFORMED THEM WE'RE COMING BACK. THE CAPT THEN HAD A DISCUSSION WITH THE RAMP CREW; ONE OF THEM BEING THE INDIVIDUAL THAT TOLD ME HOW THEY WOULD DEICE US DURING THE WALKAROUND. THEY TOLD THE CAPT THAT THIS WAS DEFINITELY TYPE IV AND THAT IT WAS THE NEW 'ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY' TYPE IV THAT HAS BEEN TESTED AND APPROVED. I LOOKED OUT AT THE AIRPLANE AND THE SNOW AND ICE UNDER THE WING AREA AND NOTICED THERE WAS NO GREEN COLORATION OF THE SNOW; ONLY ORANGE; FROM WHICH I INFERRED THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO APPLICATION OF TYPE IV FLUID; AT LEAST ANY GREEN TYPE IV FLUID. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY GREEN FLUID ON THE WING SURFACE AT ALL; WHICH IS VERY UNCHARACTERISTIC OF TYPE IV FLUID AND ITS VISCOSITY. IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH DEICING AND ANTI-ICING OPS; I AM CONVINCED THAT WE DID NOT GET AN APPLICATION OF TYPE IV FLUID AT ALL. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEFENSIVENESS OF THE 1 RAMP CREW MAN WHOM I TALKED TO BEFORE DEICING THAT WAS TALKING TO THE CAPT. IT SEEMS TO ME; JUST BASED ON MY EXPERIENCES WITH THIS INDIVIDUAL RAMPER/DEICER; HIS DEMEANOR; HUMAN NATURE AND THE OTHER EVIDENCE; THAT SOMEONE AT ZZZ1 KNEW THEY HAD EITHER BAD TYPE IV; OR NO TYPE IV; AND THEY TRIED TO DO THE BEST THEY COULD WITH WHAT THEY HAD; AND TRIED TO PASS IT OFF ON US; HOPING WE WOULDN'T NOTICE; OR THAT THE SNOW WOULDN'T BE THAT BAD. THIS WAS DEFINITELY NOT TYPE IV FLUID AND SOMETHING WENT VERY WRONG IN ZZZ1 THAT EVENING. WE ENDED UP CANCELING THE FLT BECAUSE THEY TOLD US IT WAS THE ONLY DEICING FLUID THEY HAD AND THAT IT WAS TYPE IV. THE VISUAL WING CHK SERVED THE OP WELL; AND PREVENTED A POSSIBLE FATAL SITUATION.

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.