AN MD80 FLT ATTENDANT REPORTS THAT DURING DE-ICING; FLUID SPRAYED ON THE MAIN CABIN DOOR PENETRATED THE DOOR SEALS AND CAUSED A SLIPPERY FLOOR.
Synopsis
AN MD80 FLT ATTENDANT REPORTS THAT DURING DE-ICING; FLUID SPRAYED ON THE MAIN CABIN DOOR PENETRATED THE DOOR SEALS AND CAUSED A SLIPPERY FLOOR.
Narrative
I SAT ON FORWARD ENTRY JUMPSEAT AND BEGAN DEMO PA. ACFT WAS BEING DE-ICED. DE-ICING FLUID BEGAN TO POUR INTO FORWARD ENTRY AREA AROUND DOOR OPENINGS. IT POURED DOWN THE WALLS; SATURATING. IT WAS APPLIED WITH ENOUGH FORCE THAT IT SPRAYED ACROSS THE ENTRY AREA (TOP OF FRAME) AND INTO THE GALLEY (ABOUT 6 FT). NO ONE WAS HIT WITH THE FLUID -- I WAS ABLE TO MOVE QUICKLY ENOUGH IN ORDER TO NOT GET SPRAYED. I INFORMED THE CAPT -- HE SAID THE DE-ICERS WERE CONTRACT PEOPLE; HE INFORMED ME WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE FLT SEGMENT WITH DE-ICING FLUID IN CABIN. WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THE MD80 WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DE-ICERS ARE INSTRUCTED TO NOT SPRAY DIRECTLY AT THE DOORS BECAUSE OF THIS. THE CONTRACTORS SHOULD ALSO BE INSTRUCTED ON THE PROPER PROC SO THAT FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX ARE NOT COMING INTO CONTACT WITH THE DE-ICING FLUID. I MOPPED THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR UP WITH A BLANKET (THEY ARE NOT TOO ABSORBENT) BUT THE FLUID REMAINED (OR A FILM ON THE FLOOR) SLIPPERY FOR QUITE SOME TIME AFTERWARD. KEEP IN MIND THIS IS A FLOOR LEVEL EXIT AND A SLIPPERY FLOOR INHIBITS EVACUATION. THEREFORE WE HAVE TWO ISSUES TO CONSIDER: 1) PERSONS COMING IN CONTACT WITH DE-ICING FLUID. 2) EVACUATION HINDRANCE DUE TO SLIPPERY FLUID ON FLOOR THAT CANNOT BE ENTIRELY CLEANED UP.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.