Narrative:

When we arrived at the aircraft; it was snowing heavily. It was dark and visibility was very poor. I asked a ramp worker; whom I encountered in the jetway; if they were going to deice the area around the engine inlets before we taxied to the deice pad. It was clear from his expression that my question was completely unexpected. He said they have never done that and were in fact prohibited from doing any deicing at the gate. All deicing has always been done in the deice pad. We had a lot to think about. There was a 23 KT crosswind and the braking action was being reported as poor. Poor braking limits us to a 20 KT maximum crosswind. After speaking with flight control it was decided that we should wait until xa:00. By then the wind was expected to shift westerly allowing us to takeoff. We then discovered that the mu readings were 30/35/20. An mu reading of 20 equates to nil braking. I was surprised to learn that the tower can call the braking poor by vehicle when the vehicle readings were actually fair; poor and nil. We insisted the runway be plowed again and braking action be rechked. Eventually; we pushed back and started the left engine. After the engine stabilized at idle; we turned on the engine anti ice. A few seconds later the engine momentarily rolled back 2% N2 and recovered. When I advanced the throttle to close the surge valve the engine again momentarily rolled back 2% N2. These rollbacks were very brief and the engine remained smooth. I suspected that the engine swallowed a slug of water as snow melted. We taxied to the deice pad. At the pad we saw several aircraft with snow in their intakes. Deice at syr is performed with the engines not operating. The intakes are cleaned as part of the deice process at the pad. One rj on the pad experienced an APU flameout when the deice crew blew a chunk of snow off their tail and into the APU inlet.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 CAPTAIN EXPRESSES CONCERN REGARDING DE-ICING PROCEDURES AND ATC BRAKING ACTION REPORTING AT SYR.

Narrative: WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT; IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY. IT WAS DARK AND VISIBILITY WAS VERY POOR. I ASKED A RAMP WORKER; WHOM I ENCOUNTERED IN THE JETWAY; IF THEY WERE GOING TO DEICE THE AREA AROUND THE ENG INLETS BEFORE WE TAXIED TO THE DEICE PAD. IT WAS CLR FROM HIS EXPRESSION THAT MY QUESTION WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED. HE SAID THEY HAVE NEVER DONE THAT AND WERE IN FACT PROHIBITED FROM DOING ANY DEICING AT THE GATE. ALL DEICING HAS ALWAYS BEEN DONE IN THE DEICE PAD. WE HAD A LOT TO THINK ABOUT. THERE WAS A 23 KT XWIND AND THE BRAKING ACTION WAS BEING RPTED AS POOR. POOR BRAKING LIMITS US TO A 20 KT MAXIMUM XWIND. AFTER SPEAKING WITH FLT CTL IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD WAIT UNTIL XA:00. BY THEN THE WIND WAS EXPECTED TO SHIFT WESTERLY ALLOWING US TO TKOF. WE THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE MU READINGS WERE 30/35/20. AN MU READING OF 20 EQUATES TO NIL BRAKING. I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THE TWR CAN CALL THE BRAKING POOR BY VEHICLE WHEN THE VEHICLE READINGS WERE ACTUALLY FAIR; POOR AND NIL. WE INSISTED THE RWY BE PLOWED AGAIN AND BRAKING ACTION BE RECHKED. EVENTUALLY; WE PUSHED BACK AND STARTED THE L ENG. AFTER THE ENG STABILIZED AT IDLE; WE TURNED ON THE ENG ANTI ICE. A FEW SECONDS LATER THE ENG MOMENTARILY ROLLED BACK 2% N2 AND RECOVERED. WHEN I ADVANCED THE THROTTLE TO CLOSE THE SURGE VALVE THE ENG AGAIN MOMENTARILY ROLLED BACK 2% N2. THESE ROLLBACKS WERE VERY BRIEF AND THE ENG REMAINED SMOOTH. I SUSPECTED THAT THE ENG SWALLOWED A SLUG OF WATER AS SNOW MELTED. WE TAXIED TO THE DEICE PAD. AT THE PAD WE SAW SEVERAL ACFT WITH SNOW IN THEIR INTAKES. DEICE AT SYR IS PERFORMED WITH THE ENGS NOT OPERATING. THE INTAKES ARE CLEANED AS PART OF THE DEICE PROCESS AT THE PAD. ONE RJ ON THE PAD EXPERIENCED AN APU FLAMEOUT WHEN THE DEICE CREW BLEW A CHUNK OF SNOW OFF THEIR TAIL AND INTO THE APU INLET.

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.