Narrative:

At the gate; I observed ice/frost on the wings caused by cold-soaked fuel. The WX was good. Clear sky. I requested deicing per air carrier airlines procedures. I was told there was no deicing truck available; 'it's in the shop.' I called dispatch on the phone. The dispatcher told me I could add fuel. It would melt the ice frost. I asked to speak with a chief pilot. I was connected with my chief pilot. He was the chief pilot on call. I explained to chief pilot that there was ice/frost on the wings from cold-soaked fuel wing tanks. He said I could 'take a garden hose to it.' I took that to mean use unheated water to deice. I elected to add fuel and not to use unheated water to deice. The ice/frost melted and we departed with clean wings. On aug/xa/08 I was the captain of another flight from another station. I noted what looked like ice/frost on the wings. I showed it to the first officer. She agreed that it looked like ice. We requested deicing from the station. We were told deicing was not available. Our dispatcher advised us to add fuel. We added fuel and the ice/frost melted. We departed with clean wings. On sep/xa/08; I was called to a meeting with my chief pilot and another chief pilot. They wanted to know why I was deicing in august. I told them it was ice/frost from cold-soaked fuel. They asked why I had not used unheated water to deice. I told them I had questions about deicing ice/frost from cold-soaked fuel tanks. I am not an expert; but if ice/frost is forming on the wings from cold-soaked fuel; wouldn't it be reasonable to think the surface was at below 32 degrees fahrenheit/0 degrees celsius; and the requirement for all surfaces to be deiced above 32 degrees fahrenheit /0 degrees celsius would not be met? It has come to my attention that adding fuel is not an approved method for deicing. I will no longer add fuel to melt ice/frost from cold-soaked wing fuel tanks. I have never used unheated water to deice ice/frost caused by cold-soaked wing fuel tanks. I have told my chief pilots that I think it is not approved because the surface is probably below 32 degrees fahrenheit/0 degrees celsius.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 PLT USES THE DISPATCH SUGGESTED TECHNIQUE OF ADDING EXTRA FUEL TO MELT WING FROST LATER TO DISCOVER THAT THE PROCEDURE IS NOT APPROVED.

Narrative: AT THE GATE; I OBSERVED ICE/FROST ON THE WINGS CAUSED BY COLD-SOAKED FUEL. THE WX WAS GOOD. CLR SKY. I REQUESTED DEICING PER ACR AIRLINES PROCS. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO DEICING TRUCK AVAILABLE; 'IT'S IN THE SHOP.' I CALLED DISPATCH ON THE PHONE. THE DISPATCHER TOLD ME I COULD ADD FUEL. IT WOULD MELT THE ICE FROST. I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH A CHIEF PLT. I WAS CONNECTED WITH MY CHIEF PLT. HE WAS THE CHIEF PLT ON CALL. I EXPLAINED TO CHIEF PLT THAT THERE WAS ICE/FROST ON THE WINGS FROM COLD-SOAKED FUEL WING TANKS. HE SAID I COULD 'TAKE A GARDEN HOSE TO IT.' I TOOK THAT TO MEAN USE UNHEATED WATER TO DEICE. I ELECTED TO ADD FUEL AND NOT TO USE UNHEATED WATER TO DEICE. THE ICE/FROST MELTED AND WE DEPARTED WITH CLEAN WINGS. ON AUG/XA/08 I WAS THE CAPT OF ANOTHER FLT FROM ANOTHER STATION. I NOTED WHAT LOOKED LIKE ICE/FROST ON THE WINGS. I SHOWED IT TO THE FO. SHE AGREED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE ICE. WE REQUESTED DEICING FROM THE STATION. WE WERE TOLD DEICING WAS NOT AVAILABLE. OUR DISPATCHER ADVISED US TO ADD FUEL. WE ADDED FUEL AND THE ICE/FROST MELTED. WE DEPARTED WITH CLEAN WINGS. ON SEP/XA/08; I WAS CALLED TO A MEETING WITH MY CHIEF PLT AND ANOTHER CHIEF PLT. THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHY I WAS DEICING IN AUGUST. I TOLD THEM IT WAS ICE/FROST FROM COLD-SOAKED FUEL. THEY ASKED WHY I HAD NOT USED UNHEATED WATER TO DEICE. I TOLD THEM I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT DEICING ICE/FROST FROM COLD-SOAKED FUEL TANKS. I AM NOT AN EXPERT; BUT IF ICE/FROST IS FORMING ON THE WINGS FROM COLD-SOAKED FUEL; WOULDN'T IT BE REASONABLE TO THINK THE SURFACE WAS AT BELOW 32 DEGS FAHRENHEIT/0 DEGS CELSIUS; AND THE REQUIREMENT FOR ALL SURFACES TO BE DEICED ABOVE 32 DEGS FAHRENHEIT /0 DEGS CELSIUS WOULD NOT BE MET? IT HAS COME TO MY ATTN THAT ADDING FUEL IS NOT AN APPROVED METHOD FOR DEICING. I WILL NO LONGER ADD FUEL TO MELT ICE/FROST FROM COLD-SOAKED WING FUEL TANKS. I HAVE NEVER USED UNHEATED WATER TO DEICE ICE/FROST CAUSED BY COLD-SOAKED WING FUEL TANKS. I HAVE TOLD MY CHIEF PLTS THAT I THINK IT IS NOT APPROVED BECAUSE THE SURFACE IS PROBABLY BELOW 32 DEGS FAHRENHEIT/0 DEGS CELSIUS.

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.