Narrative:

Deicing was requested during preflight in sjc due to frost on wings and horizontal stabilizer. WX was clear; winds calm; temperature 2 degrees C. Rather than deice airplane; ground crew used wing wand to conduct their own ice check. Ground crew then reported no frost on wings -- only water. Captain exited aircraft and had ladders obtained to rechk wings and horizontal stabilizer. All surfaces had significant frost and needed deicing. Discussion was had that ground crew only had limited deicing equipment and would have to borrow equipment if the fuselage or tail would have to be deiced. Eventually; ground crew used ladders in order to access and deice wings and horizontal stabilizer with the small equipment they had on hand. Major safety concern! Ground crew was unprepared for deicing and then misreported the icing check to crew when asked to deice airplane. If flight crew had accepted their word; airplane would have taken off in unsafe condition. Ground crew should deice when requested. When it is clear and cold; operations should consider pre-deicing. Ground crew reported frost on wings was 'only water' in an attempt to avoid performing requested deice of airplane. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that his aircraft type was a B737. The contract personnel involved were not mechanics and functioned solely as ground service workers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT COMPLAINS THAT CONTRACT GND SVC PERSONNEL REPORTED FROST AS WATER DURING A PREFLT ATTEMPTING TO AVOID DEICING THE ACFT.

Narrative: DEICING WAS REQUESTED DURING PREFLT IN SJC DUE TO FROST ON WINGS AND HORIZ STABILIZER. WX WAS CLR; WINDS CALM; TEMP 2 DEGS C. RATHER THAN DEICE AIRPLANE; GND CREW USED WING WAND TO CONDUCT THEIR OWN ICE CHK. GND CREW THEN RPTED NO FROST ON WINGS -- ONLY WATER. CAPT EXITED ACFT AND HAD LADDERS OBTAINED TO RECHK WINGS AND HORIZ STABILIZER. ALL SURFACES HAD SIGNIFICANT FROST AND NEEDED DEICING. DISCUSSION WAS HAD THAT GND CREW ONLY HAD LIMITED DEICING EQUIP AND WOULD HAVE TO BORROW EQUIP IF THE FUSELAGE OR TAIL WOULD HAVE TO BE DEICED. EVENTUALLY; GND CREW USED LADDERS IN ORDER TO ACCESS AND DEICE WINGS AND HORIZ STABILIZER WITH THE SMALL EQUIP THEY HAD ON HAND. MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN! GND CREW WAS UNPREPARED FOR DEICING AND THEN MISREPORTED THE ICING CHK TO CREW WHEN ASKED TO DEICE AIRPLANE. IF FLT CREW HAD ACCEPTED THEIR WORD; AIRPLANE WOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF IN UNSAFE CONDITION. GND CREW SHOULD DEICE WHEN REQUESTED. WHEN IT IS CLR AND COLD; OPS SHOULD CONSIDER PRE-DEICING. GND CREW RPTED FROST ON WINGS WAS 'ONLY WATER' IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID PERFORMING REQUESTED DEICE OF AIRPLANE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT HIS ACFT TYPE WAS A B737. THE CONTRACT PERSONNEL INVOLVED WERE NOT MECHANICS AND FUNCTIONED SOLELY AS GND SERVICE WORKERS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.