Narrative:

Contract de-icing at ZZZ conducted in very undisciplined; unprofessional and unsafe manner. De-ice personnel would not answer radio; and when they did; some personnel couldn't speak or understand english at the level required to do job in a safe manner. Aircraft not de-iced in consistent manner. Also; overheard de-ice personnel remark on radio that they had been working seven straight hours without a rest or meal break. After receiving post-application report; and being cleared for flight control check and engine start; flight attendant advised that commuting pilot seated in cabin observed that the entire leading edge of left wing had not been de-iced and was still loaded with snow. Yet; de-ice crew released aircraft for flight. Commuting pilot in cabin observed that left wing leading edge was still covered with snow; and told flight attendant to advise flight crew. De-ice personnel advised and asked to return to aircraft to complete de-icing. Provide quality personnel to do this job that is critical to flight safety; and train them properly instead of going for the cheapest bid and the lower quality personnel that process attracts. Would a loss of a 30-million dollar aircraft and billions of dollars in lawsuits really be worth nickel-and-diming such an important function upon which the very safety of the flight depends?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 WAS IMPROPERLY DE-ICED AT ZZZ.

Narrative: CONTRACT DE-ICING AT ZZZ CONDUCTED IN VERY UNDISCIPLINED; UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNSAFE MANNER. DE-ICE PERSONNEL WOULD NOT ANSWER RADIO; AND WHEN THEY DID; SOME PERSONNEL COULDN'T SPEAK OR UNDERSTAND ENGLISH AT THE LEVEL REQUIRED TO DO JOB IN A SAFE MANNER. ACFT NOT DE-ICED IN CONSISTENT MANNER. ALSO; OVERHEARD DE-ICE PERSONNEL REMARK ON RADIO THAT THEY HAD BEEN WORKING SEVEN STRAIGHT HOURS WITHOUT A REST OR MEAL BREAK. AFTER RECEIVING POST-APPLICATION REPORT; AND BEING CLEARED FOR FLT CTL CHECK AND ENGINE START; FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED THAT COMMUTING PLT SEATED IN CABIN OBSERVED THAT THE ENTIRE LEADING EDGE OF LEFT WING HAD NOT BEEN DE-ICED AND WAS STILL LOADED WITH SNOW. YET; DE-ICE CREW RELEASED ACFT FOR FLT. COMMUTING PLT IN CABIN OBSERVED THAT LEFT WING LEADING EDGE WAS STILL COVERED WITH SNOW; AND TOLD FLT ATTENDANT TO ADVISE FLT CREW. DE-ICE PERSONNEL ADVISED AND ASKED TO RETURN TO ACFT TO COMPLETE DE-ICING. PROVIDE QUALITY PERSONNEL TO DO THIS JOB THAT IS CRITICAL TO FLT SAFETY; AND TRAIN THEM PROPERLY INSTEAD OF GOING FOR THE CHEAPEST BID AND THE LOWER QUALITY PERSONNEL THAT PROCESS ATTRACTS. WOULD A LOSS OF A 30-MILLION DOLLAR ACFT AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN LAWSUITS REALLY BE WORTH NICKEL-AND-DIMING SUCH AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION UPON WHICH THE VERY SAFETY OF THE FLT DEPENDS?

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.