Narrative:

Early departure mci to ind. I performed cockpit preflight and first officer did external preflight. WX, temperature plus 27 degrees approximately and clear skies. When first officer arrived in cockpit, he reported aircraft was ok and I asked him if there was any frost on the wing. He said he didn't see any but he would go back to the mid cabin area and take a look. He did this and then returned to the cockpit and turned the rotating beacon off and took another look. He reported just a very thin line of discoloration aft of the heading edge devices bout 6 inches wide, apparently along the forward spar area. He did not consider it real frost and said the aircraft did not need deicing. Based on his comments, my previous observations of the aircraft at the gate and because there was no other apparent deicing going on, I agreed. We departed the gate and, on taxi out, a deadhdg copilot made a comment about frost on the wing to his captain in front of a passenger. The captain relayed this to me on interphone. I queried him in the cockpit and we returned to the ramp and were deiced. I requested the deicing crew to give me their assessment of the need for deicing. They inspected the aircraft and advised me that it was unnecessary as there was no real frost build-up. I had them deice 50/50 glycol anyway! The engines were not shut down and the flight was completed. I have flown for 30 yrs. Many yrs in icing conditions in iceland, greenland, alaska and the northeast. I know the B-737! This copilot went to his chief pilot in phl and reported the incident. D___ him! This is cockpit resource management run amok. My chief pilot straightened it out, but I am mad. My copilot made 3 separate checks and all other indications were negative to deicing. Yet this self appointed a-hole did what he did. I am pursuing action against him through pilot union flight standards.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIC RPT ON COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT OVERKILL WHEN A DEADHDG COMPANY FO RPTS FROST ON WING IN FRONT OF A PAX. DEADHDG CAPT RPTS TO PIC VIA INTERPHONE.

Narrative: EARLY DEP MCI TO IND. I PERFORMED COCKPIT PREFLT AND FO DID EXTERNAL PREFLT. WX, TEMP PLUS 27 DEGS APPROX AND CLR SKIES. WHEN FO ARRIVED IN COCKPIT, HE RPTED ACFT WAS OK AND I ASKED HIM IF THERE WAS ANY FROST ON THE WING. HE SAID HE DIDN'T SEE ANY BUT HE WOULD GO BACK TO THE MID CABIN AREA AND TAKE A LOOK. HE DID THIS AND THEN RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND TURNED THE ROTATING BEACON OFF AND TOOK ANOTHER LOOK. HE RPTED JUST A VERY THIN LINE OF DISCOLORATION AFT OF THE HDG EDGE DEVICES BOUT 6 INCHES WIDE, APPARENTLY ALONG THE FORWARD SPAR AREA. HE DID NOT CONSIDER IT REAL FROST AND SAID THE ACFT DID NOT NEED DEICING. BASED ON HIS COMMENTS, MY PREVIOUS OBSERVATIONS OF THE ACFT AT THE GATE AND BECAUSE THERE WAS NO OTHER APPARENT DEICING GOING ON, I AGREED. WE DEPARTED THE GATE AND, ON TAXI OUT, A DEADHDG COPLT MADE A COMMENT ABOUT FROST ON THE WING TO HIS CAPT IN FRONT OF A PAX. THE CAPT RELAYED THIS TO ME ON INTERPHONE. I QUERIED HIM IN THE COCKPIT AND WE RETURNED TO THE RAMP AND WERE DEICED. I REQUESTED THE DEICING CREW TO GIVE ME THEIR ASSESSMENT OF THE NEED FOR DEICING. THEY INSPECTED THE ACFT AND ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS UNNECESSARY AS THERE WAS NO REAL FROST BUILD-UP. I HAD THEM DEICE 50/50 GLYCOL ANYWAY! THE ENGS WERE NOT SHUT DOWN AND THE FLT WAS COMPLETED. I HAVE FLOWN FOR 30 YRS. MANY YRS IN ICING CONDITIONS IN ICELAND, GREENLAND, ALASKA AND THE NE. I KNOW THE B-737! THIS COPLT WENT TO HIS CHIEF PLT IN PHL AND RPTED THE INCIDENT. D___ HIM! THIS IS COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT RUN AMOK. MY CHIEF PLT STRAIGHTENED IT OUT, BUT I AM MAD. MY COPLT MADE 3 SEPARATE CHKS AND ALL OTHER INDICATIONS WERE NEGATIVE TO DEICING. YET THIS SELF APPOINTED A-HOLE DID WHAT HE DID. I AM PURSUING ACTION AGAINST HIM THROUGH PLT UNION FLT STANDARDS.

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.