Narrative:

On dec/sun/92, I was a flight attendant on an air carrier flight from charlotte to raleigh durham. Due to the WX conditions, freezing rain and low temperatures, aircraft deicing was being done. We were experiencing 3 1/2 to 4 hour delays to be deiced. At approximately PM45, we finally took our turn on the deicing pad. It is my understanding that the pilots and ground crew had communication with one another and that the procedure had been completed. We then got into position for the active runway. Shortly after that the captain made the announcement for the flight attendants to prepare for departure. A passenger informed me that the left wing had not been deiced. I immediately telephoned the captain and we were able to leave the runway and avoided takeoff. It was later confirmed that the wing had not been deiced. The pilots have to rely on the ground crew to perform the deicing procedure properly. It is my strong belief that the only way to avoid a similar incident from occurring would be to require a visual check by a pilot after each deicing procedure has taken place regardless of precipitation or the length of time to take the runway. Supplemental information from acn 230403: there were 40 planes in front of us waiting to be deiced. At 1 point, I was on my jumpseat when a hysterical woman came forward shaking, crying, yelling, and cursing, demanding to get off the plane. We had been sitting in line for deicing about 2 hours and everyone was most uptight. As I passed a passenger on my way to the jumpseat, she told me she did not think we were deiced on the left side. The captain then asked to be deiced where we were rather than waiting in that long line again. After a lot of disagreeing between the company and the captain, they agreed to deice us again at the freight pad. During this time I answered a call bell to learn that a girl was going into diabetic shock. I ran up to the cockpit and informed the captain, who told the passenger that there was a medical emergency on board and that we are going back to the gate. It was my understanding they only had 2 trucks deicing that night and the trucks had to keep going back to the terminal to refill, explaining the lengthy delay. I asked the first officer why he didn't have to check the wings the first time, when the left side wasn't deiced, and he explained there wasn't any moisture then and there was this time. We finally took off arriving 5 1/2 hours late. This flight is usually 30 mins. Our crew had to work on to pittsburgh arriving at XX15. We were on duty almost 14 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 ACR FLT ATTENDANTS RPT THAT A PAX NOTED THAT THE L WING HAD NOT BEEN DEICED. THE ACFT WAS ON THE RWY FOR TKOF. PREFLT PROC DEICING.

Narrative: ON DEC/SUN/92, I WAS A FLT ATTENDANT ON AN ACR FLT FROM CHARLOTTE TO RALEIGH DURHAM. DUE TO THE WX CONDITIONS, FREEZING RAIN AND LOW TEMPS, ACFT DEICING WAS BEING DONE. WE WERE EXPERIENCING 3 1/2 TO 4 HR DELAYS TO BE DEICED. AT APPROX PM45, WE FINALLY TOOK OUR TURN ON THE DEICING PAD. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PLTS AND GND CREW HAD COM WITH ONE ANOTHER AND THAT THE PROC HAD BEEN COMPLETED. WE THEN GOT INTO POS FOR THE ACTIVE RWY. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE CAPT MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO PREPARE FOR DEP. A PAX INFORMED ME THAT THE L WING HAD NOT BEEN DEICED. I IMMEDIATELY TELEPHONED THE CAPT AND WE WERE ABLE TO LEAVE THE RWY AND AVOIDED TKOF. IT WAS LATER CONFIRMED THAT THE WING HAD NOT BEEN DEICED. THE PLTS HAVE TO RELY ON THE GND CREW TO PERFORM THE DEICING PROC PROPERLY. IT IS MY STRONG BELIEF THAT THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID A SIMILAR INCIDENT FROM OCCURRING WOULD BE TO REQUIRE A VISUAL CHK BY A PLT AFTER EACH DEICING PROC HAS TAKEN PLACE REGARDLESS OF PRECIPITATION OR THE LENGTH OF TIME TO TAKE THE RWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 230403: THERE WERE 40 PLANES IN FRONT OF US WAITING TO BE DEICED. AT 1 POINT, I WAS ON MY JUMPSEAT WHEN A HYSTERICAL WOMAN CAME FORWARD SHAKING, CRYING, YELLING, AND CURSING, DEMANDING TO GET OFF THE PLANE. WE HAD BEEN SITTING IN LINE FOR DEICING ABOUT 2 HRS AND EVERYONE WAS MOST UPTIGHT. AS I PASSED A PAX ON MY WAY TO THE JUMPSEAT, SHE TOLD ME SHE DID NOT THINK WE WERE DEICED ON THE L SIDE. THE CAPT THEN ASKED TO BE DEICED WHERE WE WERE RATHER THAN WAITING IN THAT LONG LINE AGAIN. AFTER A LOT OF DISAGREEING BTWN THE COMPANY AND THE CAPT, THEY AGREED TO DEICE US AGAIN AT THE FREIGHT PAD. DURING THIS TIME I ANSWERED A CALL BELL TO LEARN THAT A GIRL WAS GOING INTO DIABETIC SHOCK. I RAN UP TO THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED THE CAPT, WHO TOLD THE PAX THAT THERE WAS A MEDICAL EMER ON BOARD AND THAT WE ARE GOING BACK TO THE GATE. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THEY ONLY HAD 2 TRUCKS DEICING THAT NIGHT AND THE TRUCKS HAD TO KEEP GOING BACK TO THE TERMINAL TO REFILL, EXPLAINING THE LENGTHY DELAY. I ASKED THE FO WHY HE DIDN'T HAVE TO CHK THE WINGS THE FIRST TIME, WHEN THE L SIDE WASN'T DEICED, AND HE EXPLAINED THERE WASN'T ANY MOISTURE THEN AND THERE WAS THIS TIME. WE FINALLY TOOK OFF ARRIVING 5 1/2 HRS LATE. THIS FLT IS USUALLY 30 MINS. OUR CREW HAD TO WORK ON TO PITTSBURGH ARRIVING AT XX15. WE WERE ON DUTY ALMOST 14 HRS.

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.