Boarding passenger while aircraft at adjoining gate deicing.

Attributes
ACN	263078
Time
Date	199402
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	263078
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The WX this day was snowy, freezing precipitation, poor visibility and runway conditions as well as ramp conditions. We (the captain and I) had just come in from a flight and shutdown and unloaded our passenger. We were refueled and the captain went inside the terminal to receive flight release and WX while I cleaned up the aircraft for the next flight. I had to use the men's room inside the terminal, so I went upstairs. While inside, the gate agents announced the boarding of our outbound flight. I was not aware or had communicated to anyone that we were ready to board. The captain must be supervising the boarding -- I presumed. So I hurried downstairs to the ramp to the aircraft. Passenger were boarding with the captain at the bottom of the stairs. A dehavilland dhc-8 was being deiced upwind in front of us. Deicing fluid mist was traveling downwind over the passenger of our aircraft as they boarded. I happened to inhale some of this mist which subsequently irritated my lungs. I was concerned about the safety of the passenger and believed they should not have been boarded by the ramp/gate people while this deicing was taking place ahead of us. The ramp people are new and inexperienced. I am concerned about the possible health hazards of inhaling deicing chemicals and the exposure of passenger and flight crew members to this -- unnecessary due to bad boarding procedures.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BOARDING PAX WHILE ACFT AT ADJOINING GATE DEICING.

Narrative: THE WX THIS DAY WAS SNOWY, FREEZING PRECIPITATION, POOR VISIBILITY AND RWY CONDITIONS AS WELL AS RAMP CONDITIONS. WE (THE CAPT AND I) HAD JUST COME IN FROM A FLT AND SHUTDOWN AND UNLOADED OUR PAX. WE WERE REFUELED AND THE CAPT WENT INSIDE THE TERMINAL TO RECEIVE FLT RELEASE AND WX WHILE I CLEANED UP THE ACFT FOR THE NEXT FLT. I HAD TO USE THE MEN'S ROOM INSIDE THE TERMINAL, SO I WENT UPSTAIRS. WHILE INSIDE, THE GATE AGENTS ANNOUNCED THE BOARDING OF OUR OUTBOUND FLT. I WAS NOT AWARE OR HAD COMMUNICATED TO ANYONE THAT WE WERE READY TO BOARD. THE CAPT MUST BE SUPERVISING THE BOARDING -- I PRESUMED. SO I HURRIED DOWNSTAIRS TO THE RAMP TO THE ACFT. PAX WERE BOARDING WITH THE CAPT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS. A DEHAVILLAND DHC-8 WAS BEING DEICED UPWIND IN FRONT OF US. DEICING FLUID MIST WAS TRAVELING DOWNWIND OVER THE PAX OF OUR ACFT AS THEY BOARDED. I HAPPENED TO INHALE SOME OF THIS MIST WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY IRRITATED MY LUNGS. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE PAX AND BELIEVED THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN BOARDED BY THE RAMP/GATE PEOPLE WHILE THIS DEICING WAS TAKING PLACE AHEAD OF US. THE RAMP PEOPLE ARE NEW AND INEXPERIENCED. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE HEALTH HAZARDS OF INHALING DEICING CHEMICALS AND THE EXPOSURE OF PAX AND FLC MEMBERS TO THIS -- UNNECESSARY DUE TO BAD BOARDING PROCS.

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.