B737-800 flight crew requested deicing; and procedure was begun without any communication with the f...

Narrative:

Called operations to get aircraft deiced as frost was on the wings and tail. Sitting in the cockpit with passenger on board and APU running I noticed the acrid odor of deicing fluid going throughout the air-conditioning system. The ground personnel deiced the aircraft without ever checking in with the cockpit. When the tug driver checked in for pushback he stated he did not do the deicing but he knew it had been done and we were good to go. When I told him that the procedures used were completely wrong I requested the individual that deiced the plane to check in on the headset. The tug driver got out and returned with another man who checked in with me and said the airplane was deiced and ready to go. I asked him if he deiced the airplane and he said no; but he talked to the person who did. Once again I stated that this is an improper procedure and to return with the certified deicer. Finally the person that did deice the plane checked on and told me we were good to go. I once again stated that this is improper terminology and had to walk him through all the correct terms to ensure that I had in fact been deiced and was going with a clean plane. This entire event was so completely devoid of any correct operating procedure for deicing that it was as if they had never done it before which is scary in and of itself.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 FLT CREW REQUESTED DEICING; AND PROCEDURE WAS BEGUN WITHOUT ANY COMMUNICATION WITH THE FLT CREW. THE REQUIRED COMMUNICATION WAS LACKING WHEN DEICING WAS COMPLETE.

Narrative: CALLED OPS TO GET ACFT DEICED AS FROST WAS ON THE WINGS AND TAIL. SITTING IN THE COCKPIT WITH PAX ON BOARD AND APU RUNNING I NOTICED THE ACRID ODOR OF DEICING FLUID GOING THROUGHOUT THE AIR-CONDITIONING SYS. THE GND PERSONNEL DEICED THE ACFT WITHOUT EVER CHKING IN WITH THE COCKPIT. WHEN THE TUG DRIVER CHKED IN FOR PUSHBACK HE STATED HE DID NOT DO THE DEICING BUT HE KNEW IT HAD BEEN DONE AND WE WERE GOOD TO GO. WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT THE PROCS USED WERE COMPLETELY WRONG I REQUESTED THE INDIVIDUAL THAT DEICED THE PLANE TO CHK IN ON THE HEADSET. THE TUG DRIVER GOT OUT AND RETURNED WITH ANOTHER MAN WHO CHKED IN WITH ME AND SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS DEICED AND READY TO GO. I ASKED HIM IF HE DEICED THE AIRPLANE AND HE SAID NO; BUT HE TALKED TO THE PERSON WHO DID. ONCE AGAIN I STATED THAT THIS IS AN IMPROPER PROC AND TO RETURN WITH THE CERTIFIED DEICER. FINALLY THE PERSON THAT DID DEICE THE PLANE CHKED ON AND TOLD ME WE WERE GOOD TO GO. I ONCE AGAIN STATED THAT THIS IS IMPROPER TERMINOLOGY AND HAD TO WALK HIM THROUGH ALL THE CORRECT TERMS TO ENSURE THAT I HAD IN FACT BEEN DEICED AND WAS GOING WITH A CLEAN PLANE. THIS ENTIRE EVENT WAS SO COMPLETELY DEVOID OF ANY CORRECT OPERATING PROC FOR DEICING THAT IT WAS AS IF THEY HAD NEVER DONE IT BEFORE WHICH IS SCARY IN AND OF ITSELF.

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.

Attributes
ACN	768387
Time
Date	200712
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	768387
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

B737-800 flight crew requested deicing; and procedure was begun without any communication with the flight crew. The required communication was lacking when deicing was complete.