B737 FLT CREW WAS INFORMED BY MAINT THAT THE ACFT WAS FREE OF ICE; AND THE FLT DEPARTED. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE WINGS HAD BEEN COVERED WITH FROST.

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IT WAS A COLD CLR MORNING WITH FROST ON THE GND AND ALL SURFACES. I ASKED FO TO LOOK FOR ICE OR FROST ON ALL SURFACES OF THE JET. FO RPTED THAT WINGS WERE FROST COVERED AND WOULD REQUIRE A DEICE. I CONTACTED LINE MAINT 25 MINS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED PUSH TIME TO ARRANGE FOR DEICE. MAINT RESPONDED THEY WOULD BE READY. AT PUSH TIME I RADIOED MAINT DEICE FOR THE DEICE. LINE MAINT RESPONDED THAT THEY HAD INSPECTED THE ACFT AND VERIFIED THAT IT WAS FREE OF ICE AND DID NOT NEED A DEICE. IT HAD BEEN 45 MINS SINCE THE EXTERIOR PREFLT AND THE SUN WAS OUT SO I TOOK MAINT ON THEIR WORD. WE TAXIED AND TOOK OFF NORMALLY WITH NO PROBS. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE FLT; A CAPT WHO SAT IN AN EXIT ROW RPTED THAT THE WINGS; INCLUDING THE AILERONS; WERE FROST COVERED AT THE TIME OF THE PUSH. HE TOOK A PICTURE OF THE FROST COVERED WING WITH HIS CELL PHONE. IF MAINT TELLS ME THAT MY JET IS AIRWORTHY THEN THEY SHOULD BE THE AUTH AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCEPT THEIR EVAL. IN RETROSPECT I NOW KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE AND I SHOULD HAVE SET THE BRAKES AND HAD MY FO INSPECT THE WINGS FROM THE CABIN OR A LADDER. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY VIOLATION AND SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO SAFE OP OF THIS AIRLINE. I AM TOLD AFTER RPTING THIS EVENT THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND CONTINUES TO BE A PROB. I DO NOT THINK THAT THIS WAS A SIMPLE COM FAILURE BTWN MAINT AND ME. I WAS VERY CLR TO MAINT AND OUR CONVERSATION WAS CONCISE; ACCURATE AND CLR. I CANNOT OVER EMPHASIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS THREAT OR THE PROFOUND NEED FOR INVESTIGATION AND IMMEDIATE ACTION. MAINT HAS GOT TO BE TRUTHFUL AND ACCURATE TO THE CAPTS. IN THE NEAR TERM WE PLTS MUST TAKE THE TIME TO VERIFY TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE JET. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE INTEGRITY AND EXPERTISE OF A MECH AND A PLT. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.