Narrative:

Light snow falling at lga. Temperature about 26 degrees F. Deiced aircraft at gate and blocked out at XX25 local. Deiced using type I and type ii fluid. 757 flight blocks our departure from ramp for a few mins. Delayed flap extension until #3 for takeoff. Company aircraft ahead that had been diced at exactly the same time and pushed off the gate at exactly the same time as us about 3 mins before takeoff, which occurred at XX44, I sent the so to the cabin to inspect the wings and flight controls. His report a few moments later was: 'they are clean as a whistle.' almost immediately after his return to the flight station, a flight attendant called the flight station and said a passenger in the rear of the aircraft reported snow on the wings. I dismissed this as a serious report for several reasons: 1) only 16 mins had elapsed since we had blocked out and only 19 mins had elapsed since we had completed deicing. 2) the so had visually inspected the wings at the gate at the completion of the deicing. 3) the snow falling at the time was relatively light. 4) the company aircraft ahead was still free of snow build-up on its wings. 5) the so had just returned from a cabin inspection of the wings and given me the 'clean as a whistle' report. I made a PA announcement that we were still within our holdover time, and that our so had just made an inspection of the wings and found them to be in good condition. Uneventful takeoff and flight followed. In retrospect, and the next time I receive such a report from a passenger, I will have one of my flight officers go back again and verify with the reporting passenger what they see or do not see.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR IGNORES A PAX CLAIM OF SNOW ON THE WINGS.

Narrative: LIGHT SNOW FALLING AT LGA. TEMP ABOUT 26 DEGS F. DEICED ACFT AT GATE AND BLOCKED OUT AT XX25 LCL. DEICED USING TYPE I AND TYPE II FLUID. 757 FLT BLOCKS OUR DEP FROM RAMP FOR A FEW MINS. DELAYED FLAP EXTENSION UNTIL #3 FOR TKOF. COMPANY ACFT AHEAD THAT HAD BEEN DICED AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME AND PUSHED OFF THE GATE AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME AS US ABOUT 3 MINS BEFORE TKOF, WHICH OCCURRED AT XX44, I SENT THE SO TO THE CABIN TO INSPECT THE WINGS AND FLT CTLS. HIS RPT A FEW MOMENTS LATER WAS: 'THEY ARE CLEAN AS A WHISTLE.' ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER HIS RETURN TO THE FLT STATION, A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE FLT STATION AND SAID A PAX IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT RPTED SNOW ON THE WINGS. I DISMISSED THIS AS A SERIOUS RPT FOR SEVERAL REASONS: 1) ONLY 16 MINS HAD ELAPSED SINCE WE HAD BLOCKED OUT AND ONLY 19 MINS HAD ELAPSED SINCE WE HAD COMPLETED DEICING. 2) THE SO HAD VISUALLY INSPECTED THE WINGS AT THE GATE AT THE COMPLETION OF THE DEICING. 3) THE SNOW FALLING AT THE TIME WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT. 4) THE COMPANY ACFT AHEAD WAS STILL FREE OF SNOW BUILD-UP ON ITS WINGS. 5) THE SO HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A CABIN INSPECTION OF THE WINGS AND GIVEN ME THE 'CLEAN AS A WHISTLE' RPT. I MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE WERE STILL WITHIN OUR HOLDOVER TIME, AND THAT OUR SO HAD JUST MADE AN INSPECTION OF THE WINGS AND FOUND THEM TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. UNEVENTFUL TKOF AND FLT FOLLOWED. IN RETROSPECT, AND THE NEXT TIME I RECEIVE SUCH A RPT FROM A PAX, I WILL HAVE ONE OF MY FLT OFFICERS GO BACK AGAIN AND VERIFY WITH THE RPTING PAX WHAT THEY SEE OR DO NOT SEE.

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.