A TRACE OF ICE WAS FOUND ON A COMMUTER TURBOPROP DURING PREFLT. FO REFUSED TO CONTINUE WITHOUT ACFT DEICING. ACFT WAS DEICED.

Date: 1995-12 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing · Phase: ground

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown|other-unspecified

Synopsis

A TRACE OF ICE WAS FOUND ON A COMMUTER TURBOPROP DURING PREFLT. FO REFUSED TO CONTINUE WITHOUT ACFT DEICING. ACFT WAS DEICED.

Narrative

ICE ON LEADING EDGE (A TRACE) FOUND DURING PREFLT OF PLANE THAT HAD JUST LANDED. CAPT REFUSED TO DEICE; REFUSED TO DISCUSS MY 'DISCOMFORT' WITH SIT. I REFUSED TO GO. PROBS WITH THIS CAPT HAD BEEN ONGOING DUE TO NO CRM. HE FLEW 'SOLO PLT' AND DID NOT INCLUDE FO IN THE LOOP. HE WAS APPARENTLY KNOWN FOR HIS INABILITY TO 'LEAD HIS CREW.' HE BULLIES THEM INSTEAD; ACCORDING TO CHIEF PLT. I WENT INSIDE AND SPOKE TO DUTY OFFICER; WHO TODAY WAS THE CHIEF PLT. THE CHIEF PLT SPOKE BOTH TO ME AND THE CAPT. THE ACFT WAS DEICED AND DEPARTED. THE FOLLOWING DAY WE EACH SEPARATELY MET WITH THE CHIEF PLT. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CHIEF PLT 'BACKED ME 100 PERCENT.' UNFORTUNATELY; THE CAPT DEFENDED HIMSELF BY ACCUSING MY PERFORMANCE. BOTTOM LINE: ALTHOUGH I WAS 'BACKED' UP BY THE CHIEF PLT ON THE MATTER; NOTHING HAPPENED TO THE CAPT AND I WAS GIVEN (REPLACED) A DIFFICULT TRIP AND LINE CHK. THIS WILL MAKE ME SERIOUSLY QUESTION DISAGREEING WITH ANY CAPT; NO MATTER HOW ILLEGAL; UNLESS I CONSIDER HIM TOTALLY UNSAFE. I DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN. ADDENDUM: FLYING 3 DAY TRIP WITH CHK AIRMAN. FIRST FLT: PLANE COMES IN WITH TRACE OF ICE ON LEADING EDGES. CHKING NOSE; IT SEEMS QUITE CRUSTY. TEMP 34 DEGS; WINDS 15-20 KTS. CHK AIRMAN LOOKS AT ICE AND SAYS 'DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT; IT WILL MELT OFF; NO BIG DEAL.' AM I BEING SET UP? HE WAS TOLD THIS WAS ONLY A PERFORMANCE CHK FOR CAPT UPGRADE. I DECIDE TO SAY NOTHING AND GO ALONG. A QUICK GLANCE BEFORE TKOF SHOWS SOME ICE STILL THERE. THEY'VE WON. I HAVE BEEN INTIMIDATED INTO DOING SOMETHING I FEEL UNSAFE ABOUT (AND ILLEGAL); BUT I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE I WANT TO KEEP MY JOB AND NOT BE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.