Narrative:

The flight was routine passenger service from boston to quebec city. During the climb, we encountered very thick clouds. Seeing the aircraft wingtip was difficult. Outside air temperature was -3 degrees C. Ice naturally started to form on the aircraft. Even though the current airworthiness directive requires us to use continuous boot operation when any ice is on the aircraft, I was very hesitant, as I personally do not agree with the airworthiness directive. However, I complied. When approximately 1/4 inch of ice was on the windshield wiper blades, I activated the wing deicing boots. The wing ice was clear, but 'nubbly.' when the boots inflated, they lifted the ice so that it formed a perfect image of the inflated boot ribs. The boots then deflated beneath the ice. None of the ice shed. It merely formed a nice image of the inflated boot ribs. Repeated boot operation was observed to occur beneath the raised ice with absolutely no effect. Concurrently, our rate of climb was cut by half. I personally feel that I would have been better off leaving the ice alone and having a smooth leading edge. This experience reinforces my personal belief that ice bridging (in spite of all claims to the contrary) still occurs. You can't know how much I wish that those who say ice bridging is no longer a problem could have been there to look out my window! The ice eventually sublimated in the clear air above the clouds en route to quebec. Boot operation had little to do with it.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF340 WAS OPERATED IN ICING CONDITIONS. THE ACFT DEICING EQUIP WAS UNABLE TO KEEP THE WING'S ICE FREE.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS ROUTINE PAX SVC FROM BOSTON TO QUEBEC CITY. DURING THE CLB, WE ENCOUNTERED VERY THICK CLOUDS. SEEING THE ACFT WINGTIP WAS DIFFICULT. OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS -3 DEGS C. ICE NATURALLY STARTED TO FORM ON THE ACFT. EVEN THOUGH THE CURRENT AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE REQUIRES US TO USE CONTINUOUS BOOT OP WHEN ANY ICE IS ON THE ACFT, I WAS VERY HESITANT, AS I PERSONALLY DO NOT AGREE WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. HOWEVER, I COMPLIED. WHEN APPROX 1/4 INCH OF ICE WAS ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADES, I ACTIVATED THE WING DEICING BOOTS. THE WING ICE WAS CLR, BUT 'NUBBLY.' WHEN THE BOOTS INFLATED, THEY LIFTED THE ICE SO THAT IT FORMED A PERFECT IMAGE OF THE INFLATED BOOT RIBS. THE BOOTS THEN DEFLATED BENEATH THE ICE. NONE OF THE ICE SHED. IT MERELY FORMED A NICE IMAGE OF THE INFLATED BOOT RIBS. REPEATED BOOT OP WAS OBSERVED TO OCCUR BENEATH THE RAISED ICE WITH ABSOLUTELY NO EFFECT. CONCURRENTLY, OUR RATE OF CLB WAS CUT BY HALF. I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF LEAVING THE ICE ALONE AND HAVING A SMOOTH LEADING EDGE. THIS EXPERIENCE REINFORCES MY PERSONAL BELIEF THAT ICE BRIDGING (IN SPITE OF ALL CLAIMS TO THE CONTRARY) STILL OCCURS. YOU CAN'T KNOW HOW MUCH I WISH THAT THOSE WHO SAY ICE BRIDGING IS NO LONGER A PROB COULD HAVE BEEN THERE TO LOOK OUT MY WINDOW! THE ICE EVENTUALLY SUBLIMATED IN THE CLR AIR ABOVE THE CLOUDS ENRTE TO QUEBEC. BOOT OP HAD LITTLE TO DO WITH IT.

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.