FAA accused flight crew of taking off with snow adhering to the wings.

Attributes
ACN	233999
Time
Date	199302
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bdl
State Reference	CT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 3700 flight time type : 2600
ASRS Report	233999
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4700 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	233995
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight scheduled bdl-pwm. Upon arrival in pwm, FAA inspector meets airplane for ramp check. Tells crew an inspector in bdl observed aircraft taxi out with snow adhering to aircraft. Prior to flight, both captain and first officer visually and physically inspected aircraft and found only precipitation to be in the form of liquid. No ice was present on any surfaces nor was there snow adhering to aircraft. Snow had just lightly started falling but appeared not to adhere. Temperature was 31 degrees F. Captain and first officer discussed deicing and agreed it was not necessary.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA ACCUSED FLC OF TAKING OFF WITH SNOW ADHERING TO THE WINGS.

Narrative: FLT SCHEDULED BDL-PWM. UPON ARR IN PWM, FAA INSPECTOR MEETS AIRPLANE FOR RAMP CHK. TELLS CREW AN INSPECTOR IN BDL OBSERVED ACFT TAXI OUT WITH SNOW ADHERING TO ACFT. PRIOR TO FLT, BOTH CAPT AND FO VISUALLY AND PHYSICALLY INSPECTED ACFT AND FOUND ONLY PRECIPITATION TO BE IN THE FORM OF LIQUID. NO ICE WAS PRESENT ON ANY SURFACES NOR WAS THERE SNOW ADHERING TO ACFT. SNOW HAD JUST LIGHTLY STARTED FALLING BUT APPEARED NOT TO ADHERE. TEMP WAS 31 DEGS F. CAPT AND FO DISCUSSED DEICING AND AGREED IT WAS NOT NECESSARY.

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.