Narrative:

During preflight at bwi one morning I noticed the aircraft was covered with snow on wings; fuselage; and engine. I coordinated with operations for deice and was told that 'due to manpower shortages they would deice at the gate and not in the pad as usual.' after the passenger were loaded and door shut I noticed the ground personnel working with the deice truck. This went on for approximately 10 mins. As we were now past departure time I called operations and inquired only to be told 'they were having problems.' I later noticed the truck was gone and assumed they had started deicing which they had with no communication with the cockpit to confirm configured for deice which is required by SOP. After approximately 10 mins they finally made contact saying you're all done. Type of solution; mix and start time. I had noticed that they had not done any of the fuselage because I had heard no sound or seen fluid running over the cockpit. I asked if he had done the fuselage and he said no. I asked if there was snow on it and he said yes but it looks like it's starting to melt. I then stated that they were not all done as he said and the whole airplane needed to be free of all adhering snow. All I got was ok. I then called operations to inquire about the quality of the deicing to which he stated he would have to call the crew back to the plane. I did not even know they left. I then stated that this deice job was in clear violation of far's; company SOP and dangerous. I also stated I would require the jetway returned and the end of deice to confirm the airplane free of snow as I did not trust the quality of the crew as they had already tried to give me a plane covered in frozen snow. When the deice was completed I did go and visually check the status of the plane and determined it to be free of snow. I talked to the on duty supervisor and explained the situation and how dangerous it was to tell us a plane is clean when indeed it is not. I also explained it was in clear violation of FARS and SOP. He stated he would look into it and assured it would never happen again. I am concerned about the quality of training of ground personnel responsible for passing me vital information of a plane which is incorrect and flat out dangerous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEICING PROCS CAUSE A B757 CAPT TO CALL FOR A REDO AS WELL AS MAKE A PERSONAL INSPECTION OF THE ACFT TO MAKE SURE HIS ACFT WAS READY FOR FLT.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT AT BWI ONE MORNING I NOTICED THE ACFT WAS COVERED WITH SNOW ON WINGS; FUSELAGE; AND ENG. I COORDINATED WITH OPS FOR DEICE AND WAS TOLD THAT 'DUE TO MANPOWER SHORTAGES THEY WOULD DEICE AT THE GATE AND NOT IN THE PAD AS USUAL.' AFTER THE PAX WERE LOADED AND DOOR SHUT I NOTICED THE GND PERSONNEL WORKING WITH THE DEICE TRUCK. THIS WENT ON FOR APPROX 10 MINS. AS WE WERE NOW PAST DEP TIME I CALLED OPS AND INQUIRED ONLY TO BE TOLD 'THEY WERE HAVING PROBS.' I LATER NOTICED THE TRUCK WAS GONE AND ASSUMED THEY HAD STARTED DEICING WHICH THEY HAD WITH NO COM WITH THE COCKPIT TO CONFIRM CONFIGURED FOR DEICE WHICH IS REQUIRED BY SOP. AFTER APPROX 10 MINS THEY FINALLY MADE CONTACT SAYING YOU'RE ALL DONE. TYPE OF SOLUTION; MIX AND START TIME. I HAD NOTICED THAT THEY HAD NOT DONE ANY OF THE FUSELAGE BECAUSE I HAD HEARD NO SOUND OR SEEN FLUID RUNNING OVER THE COCKPIT. I ASKED IF HE HAD DONE THE FUSELAGE AND HE SAID NO. I ASKED IF THERE WAS SNOW ON IT AND HE SAID YES BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S STARTING TO MELT. I THEN STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT ALL DONE AS HE SAID AND THE WHOLE AIRPLANE NEEDED TO BE FREE OF ALL ADHERING SNOW. ALL I GOT WAS OK. I THEN CALLED OPS TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE DEICING TO WHICH HE STATED HE WOULD HAVE TO CALL THE CREW BACK TO THE PLANE. I DID NOT EVEN KNOW THEY LEFT. I THEN STATED THAT THIS DEICE JOB WAS IN CLR VIOLATION OF FAR'S; COMPANY SOP AND DANGEROUS. I ALSO STATED I WOULD REQUIRE THE JETWAY RETURNED AND THE END OF DEICE TO CONFIRM THE AIRPLANE FREE OF SNOW AS I DID NOT TRUST THE QUALITY OF THE CREW AS THEY HAD ALREADY TRIED TO GIVE ME A PLANE COVERED IN FROZEN SNOW. WHEN THE DEICE WAS COMPLETED I DID GO AND VISUALLY CHK THE STATUS OF THE PLANE AND DETERMINED IT TO BE FREE OF SNOW. I TALKED TO THE ON DUTY SUPVR AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND HOW DANGEROUS IT WAS TO TELL US A PLANE IS CLEAN WHEN INDEED IT IS NOT. I ALSO EXPLAINED IT WAS IN CLR VIOLATION OF FARS AND SOP. HE STATED HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT AND ASSURED IT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF TRAINING OF GND PERSONNEL RESPONSIBLE FOR PASSING ME VITAL INFO OF A PLANE WHICH IS INCORRECT AND FLAT OUT DANGEROUS.

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.