Narrative:

When first officer performed walkaround; he noted a layer of frost coating the aircraft and especially upper surfaces on the wing. He radioed in that we would need to be deiced prior to departure. The deicing technician arrived at XA45 and informed us that we did not need to be deiced. He stated that the frost was within limits. He had examined the underside of the wing and it was wet; and we were allowed to go with 1/8 inch of frost on the upper surface of the wing. I told him we still needed to be deiced. He became aggressive; and stated that we did not need to be deiced several times. We stated the upper wing surfaces should be clear of any contamination; and dismissed our concerns as 'an MD80 thing.' I finally insisted that we needed deicing prior to takeoff. We called for his supervisor; and stated our concerns regarding his training; lack of knowledge regarding deicing requirements; rude behavior; and insistence upon not deicing us. We were deiced prior to takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT RPTS THE GND CREW'S RELUCTANCE TO DEICE THE ACFT WITH MINIMUM WING FROST AND THEIR RESISTANCE UNTIL HE INSISTS ON THE DEICE PROC.

Narrative: WHEN FO PERFORMED WALKAROUND; HE NOTED A LAYER OF FROST COATING THE ACFT AND ESPECIALLY UPPER SURFACES ON THE WING. HE RADIOED IN THAT WE WOULD NEED TO BE DEICED PRIOR TO DEP. THE DEICING TECHNICIAN ARRIVED AT XA45 AND INFORMED US THAT WE DID NOT NEED TO BE DEICED. HE STATED THAT THE FROST WAS WITHIN LIMITS. HE HAD EXAMINED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WING AND IT WAS WET; AND WE WERE ALLOWED TO GO WITH 1/8 INCH OF FROST ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE WING. I TOLD HIM WE STILL NEEDED TO BE DEICED. HE BECAME AGGRESSIVE; AND STATED THAT WE DID NOT NEED TO BE DEICED SEVERAL TIMES. WE STATED THE UPPER WING SURFACES SHOULD BE CLR OF ANY CONTAMINATION; AND DISMISSED OUR CONCERNS AS 'AN MD80 THING.' I FINALLY INSISTED THAT WE NEEDED DEICING PRIOR TO TKOF. WE CALLED FOR HIS SUPVR; AND STATED OUR CONCERNS REGARDING HIS TRAINING; LACK OF KNOWLEDGE REGARDING DEICING REQUIREMENTS; RUDE BEHAVIOR; AND INSISTENCE UPON NOT DEICING US. WE WERE DEICED PRIOR TO TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.