Narrative:

I was taxiing out for takeoff at harrisburg international airport in harrisburg, PA, on a scheduled cargo flight to williamsport, PA. An FAA inspector was in the area at the time. He stated to the cargo company that he noticed I had 2 inches of snow on my wings and he would like my company's name and telephone number. I feel that the inspector was misled in assuming that I had snow on my wings and control surfaces, because I did have snow on the roof of the aircraft. Earlier in the morning during my preflight I checked the snow on my airplane with a broom. The snow was very light and swept off easily down to the metal surface. Since it was snowing moderately at this time, I decided to sweep the aircraft off closer to my departure time. Before departure, I took a ladder and a push broom and swept off my wings, tail surface, windshield and propeller according to my company operation manual and far part 135.227. The roof of the fuselage is not listed in this far. There was some residual snow on the wings and tail but again it was a dusting and blew off easily with the wind. I taxied to the runway and upon reaching the hold line I did a pretkof contamination check. I looked out both side windows and the wings were clean. Between the propeller wash and strong winds, all the residual snow was gone. I just feel the inspector thought my wings had snow on them because he saw the snow on my roof. Also he saw the aircraft at the beginning of the taxi not at the runway. I wish he would also consider the snow was not heavy and wet. It was dry and light and did not adhere to the wings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PART 135 CARGO PLT'S CHKS FOR FROST, ICE OR SNOW WERE NOT CONSIDERED ADEQUATE BY AN OBSERVING FAA INSPECTOR. THE INSPECTOR TOLD THE CARGO COMPANY THAT THE ACFT WINGS HAD 2 INCHES OF SNOW.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF AT HARRISBURG INTL ARPT IN HARRISBURG, PA, ON A SCHEDULED CARGO FLT TO WILLIAMSPORT, PA. AN FAA INSPECTOR WAS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME. HE STATED TO THE CARGO COMPANY THAT HE NOTICED I HAD 2 INCHES OF SNOW ON MY WINGS AND HE WOULD LIKE MY COMPANY'S NAME AND TELEPHONE NUMBER. I FEEL THAT THE INSPECTOR WAS MISLED IN ASSUMING THAT I HAD SNOW ON MY WINGS AND CTL SURFACES, BECAUSE I DID HAVE SNOW ON THE ROOF OF THE ACFT. EARLIER IN THE MORNING DURING MY PREFLT I CHKED THE SNOW ON MY AIRPLANE WITH A BROOM. THE SNOW WAS VERY LIGHT AND SWEPT OFF EASILY DOWN TO THE METAL SURFACE. SINCE IT WAS SNOWING MODERATELY AT THIS TIME, I DECIDED TO SWEEP THE ACFT OFF CLOSER TO MY DEP TIME. BEFORE DEP, I TOOK A LADDER AND A PUSH BROOM AND SWEPT OFF MY WINGS, TAIL SURFACE, WINDSHIELD AND PROP ACCORDING TO MY COMPANY OP MANUAL AND FAR PART 135.227. THE ROOF OF THE FUSELAGE IS NOT LISTED IN THIS FAR. THERE WAS SOME RESIDUAL SNOW ON THE WINGS AND TAIL BUT AGAIN IT WAS A DUSTING AND BLEW OFF EASILY WITH THE WIND. I TAXIED TO THE RWY AND UPON REACHING THE HOLD LINE I DID A PRETKOF CONTAMINATION CHK. I LOOKED OUT BOTH SIDE WINDOWS AND THE WINGS WERE CLEAN. BTWN THE PROP WASH AND STRONG WINDS, ALL THE RESIDUAL SNOW WAS GONE. I JUST FEEL THE INSPECTOR THOUGHT MY WINGS HAD SNOW ON THEM BECAUSE HE SAW THE SNOW ON MY ROOF. ALSO HE SAW THE ACFT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TAXI NOT AT THE RWY. I WISH HE WOULD ALSO CONSIDER THE SNOW WAS NOT HVY AND WET. IT WAS DRY AND LIGHT AND DID NOT ADHERE TO THE WINGS.

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.