Narrative:

We left the gate and a few mins later could see our windows covered by a fluid as they sprayed us with deicer. We then took our position in line and waited perhaps 45 mins for takeoff before the pilot announced we were #2 for departure. I looked up from my reading and noticed that I could not see the outline of the control surfaces. As I stared closely at both wings, I realized that in the poor light and the grey color of the paint on the wings, I could not distinguish anything on the wings except the very tips of the vortex generators and the lifeline ring, which was painted bright red. I stared until I could make out that the wings were completely covered with a blanket of snow or ice, or both. The wings appeared to be completely smooth from front to back, and out to the wing tip. I sat there wondering what to do. Should I run to the cockpit and try to warn somebody or what--I could picture the scene that would make. I knew that no one from the cockpit had checked our condition. As I got off the plane in psp, I noticed that the captain was standing at the front saying goodbye to the passenger. I asked if he were getting off, and he said no. I asked if the captain would come down and talk to me for a minute. He followed me down. I explained that I did not want to make a big production out of this, but I was curious what their procedures were re: the time lapse between the car wash and takeoff. He replied that it depended on the conditions and the situation and wanted to know why I asked. I said that I just wanted to know how they knew that they were free of ice and snow west/O a crew member checking. He replied with a lecture telling me that they knew what they were doing. They were well-trained and had the situation well in hand. I asked how they knew what condition their wings were in and he advised me that there was not enough precipitation in slc to cause a problem, and besides they were observing the wings of the aircraft in front of them, and he was clean so they had to be clean also. When I asked if he would be surprised to learn that his wings were completely covered when he made his takeoff, he really put me down. First, it was impossible! Also, he was a professional and knew what he was doing, and it was all very safe. I suggested that the air carrier crew probably felt the same way until rather late in their short flight. He then spent some time telling me that they lived in fl and he was well experienced in such matters as snow and ice. I then made the mistake of remarking that I was not exactly a neophyte as I had been flying jets for 36 yrs and had over 20000 hours. It turns out he had 30000 hours, so I gave up and went across the airport to get my medium large transport ready to fly home. Someone has a problem here. A lot of aircraft in slc might have violated far part 121.629 that day. If someone is that casual about what might be on the wings of an airplane just prior to takeoff, they are endangering a lot of people. The pilots, the dispatchers and the airline itself should take a look at their procedures. There would be no way for a crew to determine their own condition by trying to see what was on another plane 150-500' in front of them--especially on a dark and dismal day as I have described. Surely the welfare of those passenger would make it a requirement that each crew check his own situation before attempting a takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG DEICES, SITS 45 MINUTES IN SNOWING CONDITIONS, DEPARTS WITH SNOW AND ICE BUILD UP ON WINGS.

Narrative: WE LEFT THE GATE AND A FEW MINS LATER COULD SEE OUR WINDOWS COVERED BY A FLUID AS THEY SPRAYED US WITH DEICER. WE THEN TOOK OUR POS IN LINE AND WAITED PERHAPS 45 MINS FOR TKOF BEFORE THE PLT ANNOUNCED WE WERE #2 FOR DEP. I LOOKED UP FROM MY READING AND NOTICED THAT I COULD NOT SEE THE OUTLINE OF THE CTL SURFACES. AS I STARED CLOSELY AT BOTH WINGS, I REALIZED THAT IN THE POOR LIGHT AND THE GREY COLOR OF THE PAINT ON THE WINGS, I COULD NOT DISTINGUISH ANYTHING ON THE WINGS EXCEPT THE VERY TIPS OF THE VORTEX GENERATORS AND THE LIFELINE RING, WHICH WAS PAINTED BRIGHT RED. I STARED UNTIL I COULD MAKE OUT THAT THE WINGS WERE COMPLETELY COVERED WITH A BLANKET OF SNOW OR ICE, OR BOTH. THE WINGS APPEARED TO BE COMPLETELY SMOOTH FROM FRONT TO BACK, AND OUT TO THE WING TIP. I SAT THERE WONDERING WHAT TO DO. SHOULD I RUN TO THE COCKPIT AND TRY TO WARN SOMEBODY OR WHAT--I COULD PICTURE THE SCENE THAT WOULD MAKE. I KNEW THAT NO ONE FROM THE COCKPIT HAD CHKED OUR CONDITION. AS I GOT OFF THE PLANE IN PSP, I NOTICED THAT THE CAPT WAS STANDING AT THE FRONT SAYING GOODBYE TO THE PAX. I ASKED IF HE WERE GETTING OFF, AND HE SAID NO. I ASKED IF THE CAPT WOULD COME DOWN AND TALK TO ME FOR A MINUTE. HE FOLLOWED ME DOWN. I EXPLAINED THAT I DID NOT WANT TO MAKE A BIG PRODUCTION OUT OF THIS, BUT I WAS CURIOUS WHAT THEIR PROCS WERE RE: THE TIME LAPSE BTWN THE CAR WASH AND TKOF. HE REPLIED THAT IT DEPENDED ON THE CONDITIONS AND THE SITUATION AND WANTED TO KNOW WHY I ASKED. I SAID THAT I JUST WANTED TO KNOW HOW THEY KNEW THAT THEY WERE FREE OF ICE AND SNOW W/O A CREW MEMBER CHKING. HE REPLIED WITH A LECTURE TELLING ME THAT THEY KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING. THEY WERE WELL-TRAINED AND HAD THE SITUATION WELL IN HAND. I ASKED HOW THEY KNEW WHAT CONDITION THEIR WINGS WERE IN AND HE ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH PRECIPITATION IN SLC TO CAUSE A PROB, AND BESIDES THEY WERE OBSERVING THE WINGS OF THE ACFT IN FRONT OF THEM, AND HE WAS CLEAN SO THEY HAD TO BE CLEAN ALSO. WHEN I ASKED IF HE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT HIS WINGS WERE COMPLETELY COVERED WHEN HE MADE HIS TKOF, HE REALLY PUT ME DOWN. FIRST, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE! ALSO, HE WAS A PROFESSIONAL AND KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING, AND IT WAS ALL VERY SAFE. I SUGGESTED THAT THE ACR CREW PROBABLY FELT THE SAME WAY UNTIL RATHER LATE IN THEIR SHORT FLT. HE THEN SPENT SOME TIME TELLING ME THAT THEY LIVED IN FL AND HE WAS WELL EXPERIENCED IN SUCH MATTERS AS SNOW AND ICE. I THEN MADE THE MISTAKE OF REMARKING THAT I WAS NOT EXACTLY A NEOPHYTE AS I HAD BEEN FLYING JETS FOR 36 YRS AND HAD OVER 20000 HRS. IT TURNS OUT HE HAD 30000 HRS, SO I GAVE UP AND WENT ACROSS THE ARPT TO GET MY MLG READY TO FLY HOME. SOMEONE HAS A PROB HERE. A LOT OF ACFT IN SLC MIGHT HAVE VIOLATED FAR PART 121.629 THAT DAY. IF SOMEONE IS THAT CASUAL ABOUT WHAT MIGHT BE ON THE WINGS OF AN AIRPLANE JUST PRIOR TO TKOF, THEY ARE ENDANGERING A LOT OF PEOPLE. THE PLTS, THE DISPATCHERS AND THE AIRLINE ITSELF SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR PROCS. THERE WOULD BE NO WAY FOR A CREW TO DETERMINE THEIR OWN CONDITION BY TRYING TO SEE WHAT WAS ON ANOTHER PLANE 150-500' IN FRONT OF THEM--ESPECIALLY ON A DARK AND DISMAL DAY AS I HAVE DESCRIBED. SURELY THE WELFARE OF THOSE PAX WOULD MAKE IT A REQUIREMENT THAT EACH CREW CHK HIS OWN SITUATION BEFORE ATTEMPTING A TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.