Narrative:

We landed at pit at XA26 local time in rain with a temperature of +1 degree C with no icing present. The first officer stated that he listened to the ATIS at XA35 local. We pushed off the gate at XA56 local and noticed a number of aircraft getting deiced/anti-iced. I asked the first officer what temperature was and he said +2 degrees C. I asked him what the description of the precipitation was and he replied that it was reported as light rain and snow. He speculated that pilots were anti- icing due to the report of snow or were deicing because they had picked up ice on their inbound flts. I asked him to reaffirm that our aircraft was free of contamination and he stated that the aircraft was clean on his walkaround inspection. He then called ground control for taxi and ground cleared us to runway 10C. This was a short taxi and we immediately took off. I still had the feeling that something was not right with this 'picture,' so I listened to the pit departure ATIS. Information had been recorded at XA51 local and included a description of the precipitation as light rain/ice pellets. With the light ice pellets report, we were required to anti-ice with type ii fluid, which explained why other aircraft were getting anti-iced. It also occurred to us at this time that ground control did not verify (only the 'tape' knows for sure) the current ATIS upon our initial call- up. I took off based on the assumption that the first officer's ATIS information was current and correct. When a mandatory deice/anti-icing situation exists, it becomes very important that every effort is made to get flcs that information so somebody doesn't fall through the cracks as was the case with us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 DEPARTED PIT IN LIGHT ICE PELLETS WITHOUT DEICING. COMPANY POLICY REQUIRES DEICING IN SUCH CONDITIONS.

Narrative: WE LANDED AT PIT AT XA26 LCL TIME IN RAIN WITH A TEMP OF +1 DEG C WITH NO ICING PRESENT. THE FO STATED THAT HE LISTENED TO THE ATIS AT XA35 LCL. WE PUSHED OFF THE GATE AT XA56 LCL AND NOTICED A NUMBER OF ACFT GETTING DEICED/ANTI-ICED. I ASKED THE FO WHAT TEMP WAS AND HE SAID +2 DEGS C. I ASKED HIM WHAT THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS AND HE REPLIED THAT IT WAS RPTED AS LIGHT RAIN AND SNOW. HE SPECULATED THAT PLTS WERE ANTI- ICING DUE TO THE RPT OF SNOW OR WERE DEICING BECAUSE THEY HAD PICKED UP ICE ON THEIR INBOUND FLTS. I ASKED HIM TO REAFFIRM THAT OUR ACFT WAS FREE OF CONTAMINATION AND HE STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS CLEAN ON HIS WALKAROUND INSPECTION. HE THEN CALLED GND CTL FOR TAXI AND GND CLRED US TO RWY 10C. THIS WAS A SHORT TAXI AND WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK OFF. I STILL HAD THE FEELING THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT WITH THIS 'PICTURE,' SO I LISTENED TO THE PIT DEP ATIS. INFO HAD BEEN RECORDED AT XA51 LCL AND INCLUDED A DESCRIPTION OF THE PRECIPITATION AS LIGHT RAIN/ICE PELLETS. WITH THE LIGHT ICE PELLETS RPT, WE WERE REQUIRED TO ANTI-ICE WITH TYPE II FLUID, WHICH EXPLAINED WHY OTHER ACFT WERE GETTING ANTI-ICED. IT ALSO OCCURRED TO US AT THIS TIME THAT GND CTL DID NOT VERIFY (ONLY THE 'TAPE' KNOWS FOR SURE) THE CURRENT ATIS UPON OUR INITIAL CALL- UP. I TOOK OFF BASED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE FO'S ATIS INFO WAS CURRENT AND CORRECT. WHEN A MANDATORY DEICE/ANTI-ICING SIT EXISTS, IT BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT THAT EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO GET FLCS THAT INFO SO SOMEBODY DOESN'T FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS AS WAS THE CASE WITH US.

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.