Narrative:

After pushback and taxiing for approximately 35 mins for takeoff at yyz, an air carrier aircraft Y behind me called and said we appeared to have some ice and snow on our upper wing surfaces. I sent the second officer back to check the wings from the cabin. He came back and reported that there was a small amount of ice and snow on the wings. I asked him if he thought we ought to return for deicing and he said yes. I requested taxi instructions back to ramp and contacted company to meet us for deicing. After deicing we departed yyz for remainder of flight. Supplemental information from acn 140590: later we were informed a passenger had called the company saying they were the one reporting the snow on the wing and they were going to go the FAA about it. The F/east must have missed seeing the snow on the trailing edge. There was no evidence of snow on the ramp, so he must not have checked the wings closely to see if they needed deicing. Supplemental information from acn 140476: during my preflight inspection I inspected the aircraft for ice or snow adhering to any of the surfaces. The aircraft appeared to be free of ice and snow, except for a light dusting of dry snow on the trailing edges of the wings that I felt would blow off. After taxi out I inspected the wings again. At this point there was still a little snow on the trailing edges. We then decided to have the wings deiced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT RETURNS TO RAMP AT YYZ FOR DEICING.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK AND TAXIING FOR APPROX 35 MINS FOR TKOF AT YYZ, AN ACR ACFT Y BEHIND ME CALLED AND SAID WE APPEARED TO HAVE SOME ICE AND SNOW ON OUR UPPER WING SURFACES. I SENT THE S/O BACK TO CHK THE WINGS FROM THE CABIN. HE CAME BACK AND RPTED THAT THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF ICE AND SNOW ON THE WINGS. I ASKED HIM IF HE THOUGHT WE OUGHT TO RETURN FOR DEICING AND HE SAID YES. I REQUESTED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS BACK TO RAMP AND CONTACTED COMPANY TO MEET US FOR DEICING. AFTER DEICING WE DEPARTED YYZ FOR REMAINDER OF FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 140590: LATER WE WERE INFORMED A PAX HAD CALLED THE COMPANY SAYING THEY WERE THE ONE RPTING THE SNOW ON THE WING AND THEY WERE GOING TO GO THE FAA ABOUT IT. THE F/E MUST HAVE MISSED SEEING THE SNOW ON THE TRAILING EDGE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SNOW ON THE RAMP, SO HE MUST NOT HAVE CHKED THE WINGS CLOSELY TO SEE IF THEY NEEDED DEICING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 140476: DURING MY PREFLT INSPECTION I INSPECTED THE ACFT FOR ICE OR SNOW ADHERING TO ANY OF THE SURFACES. THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE FREE OF ICE AND SNOW, EXCEPT FOR A LIGHT DUSTING OF DRY SNOW ON THE TRAILING EDGES OF THE WINGS THAT I FELT WOULD BLOW OFF. AFTER TAXI OUT I INSPECTED THE WINGS AGAIN. AT THIS POINT THERE WAS STILL A LITTLE SNOW ON THE TRAILING EDGES. WE THEN DECIDED TO HAVE THE WINGS DEICED.

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.