A319 first officer reports de-icing crews are failing to insure aircraft are properly configured for...

Narrative:

Noticed during walkaround that the airplane had been deiced. I also observed that the airplane had not been configured for deicing. I contacted operations and requested a deice supervisor to come to the cockpit. I asked the deice supervisor why the airplane was not configured prior to his crew deicing the airplane. His response was that they were told to deice the overnight aircraft and that maintenance is supposed to configure the airplane prior to deicing. We had a discussion on the hazards of inhaling the deice fumes and about how the deicers need to be able to determine if the airplane has or has not been configured. I contacted maintenance over the radio and queried him as to their procedures. According to maintenance; the deice crew is supposed to have the flight crew configure the airplane. If the flight crew is not there; they (the deice crew) are supposed to contact maintenance and they will come out and configure it. This was not done in this situation and I suspect that the problem is widespread. A health hazard exists from inhaling these fumes. There is a large miscom between maintenance and the deice crews. Deice crews should be made aware of how to visually determine if an airplane has been configured (ie; outflow valve). If the airplane has not been configured; then they need to know who to contact. If we relied on doing things based on what someone else was 'supposed to do;' we'd all be dead. Will it take an hour delay to let the fumes subside before boarding passenger to get this issue corrected?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FIRST OFFICER REPORTS DE-ICING CREWS ARE FAILING TO INSURE AIRCRAFT ARE PROPERLY CONFIGURED FOR DE-ICING WHEN FLIGHT CREWS ARE NOT PRESENT TO DO SO.

Narrative: NOTICED DURING WALKAROUND THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN DEICED. I ALSO OBSERVED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT BEEN CONFIGURED FOR DEICING. I CONTACTED OPS AND REQUESTED A DEICE SUPVR TO COME TO THE COCKPIT. I ASKED THE DEICE SUPVR WHY THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT CONFIGURED PRIOR TO HIS CREW DEICING THE AIRPLANE. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WERE TOLD TO DEICE THE OVERNIGHT ACFT AND THAT MAINT IS SUPPOSED TO CONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE PRIOR TO DEICING. WE HAD A DISCUSSION ON THE HAZARDS OF INHALING THE DEICE FUMES AND ABOUT HOW THE DEICERS NEED TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE IF THE AIRPLANE HAS OR HAS NOT BEEN CONFIGURED. I CONTACTED MAINT OVER THE RADIO AND QUERIED HIM AS TO THEIR PROCS. ACCORDING TO MAINT; THE DEICE CREW IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE FLT CREW CONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE. IF THE FLT CREW IS NOT THERE; THEY (THE DEICE CREW) ARE SUPPOSED TO CONTACT MAINT AND THEY WILL COME OUT AND CONFIGURE IT. THIS WAS NOT DONE IN THIS SITUATION AND I SUSPECT THAT THE PROB IS WIDESPREAD. A HEALTH HAZARD EXISTS FROM INHALING THESE FUMES. THERE IS A LARGE MISCOM BTWN MAINT AND THE DEICE CREWS. DEICE CREWS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF HOW TO VISUALLY DETERMINE IF AN AIRPLANE HAS BEEN CONFIGURED (IE; OUTFLOW VALVE). IF THE AIRPLANE HAS NOT BEEN CONFIGURED; THEN THEY NEED TO KNOW WHO TO CONTACT. IF WE RELIED ON DOING THINGS BASED ON WHAT SOMEONE ELSE WAS 'SUPPOSED TO DO;' WE'D ALL BE DEAD. WILL IT TAKE AN HR DELAY TO LET THE FUMES SUBSIDE BEFORE BOARDING PAX TO GET THIS ISSUE CORRECTED?

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.

Attributes
ACN	814125
Time
Date	200812
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 10300 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	814125
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company

A319 first officer reports de-icing crews are failing to insure aircraft are properly configured for de-icing when flight crews are not present to do so.