Incident Details
On 23 December 2016, an airline received an electronic report from a passenger of a B737-800 operated by the same carrier. The passenger stated that during takeoff, they observed a layer of ice on the upper surface of the aircraft's wing. The flight, including the takeoff, en route, and landing, proceeded without any reported disruptions.
Investigation
During the carrier's investigation, the pilot of the aircraft stated that upon arriving at the aircraft, they had informed ground handling personnel of the need for deicing. However, after inspecting all critical areas such as static ports and all surfaces affecting aircraft control, including leading edges and control surfaces, the pilot concluded that deicing was not necessary. Consequently, no deicing was performed.
Cause
The investigation determined that the cause of the incident was the improper execution of pre-flight preparation procedures.
Preventive Actions
In response to the incident, the operator took the following preventive measures:
- Retrained the pilot on cold weather operations procedures.
- Informed all pilots of the operator about the circumstances of the event.
- Notified cabin crew about the incident to remind them of procedures for informing pilots of observed icing on the aircraft.
The national investigation authority did not issue any safety recommendations or comments.