De-Icing fluid - Inside the plane?!
Dec 23, 2000 | 4:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Va Beach, Va, USA
Posts: 244
De-Icing fluid - Inside the plane?!
I was departing out of MSP on Wednesday the 20th, and as usual for this time of year, we made a trip out to the deicing trucks...
Well, as we were taking off, all this deicing fluid came "leaking" in and through the overhead area and onto a guy sitting one row back and on the opposite side of the plane...
Well he called an attendant and showed her what happened... She simple gave him a papertowel and went back to her business...
Is it normal for fluid to leak into a plane like this? I thought the planes were pressurized and airtight?
Mat
Well, as we were taking off, all this deicing fluid came "leaking" in and through the overhead area and onto a guy sitting one row back and on the opposite side of the plane...
Well he called an attendant and showed her what happened... She simple gave him a papertowel and went back to her business...
Is it normal for fluid to leak into a plane like this? I thought the planes were pressurized and airtight?
Mat
Dec 23, 2000 | 7:10 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 685
I highly doubt it was deicing fluid. More likely that it was condensation from an air conditioning unit, and it was just plain old water.
Dec 23, 2000 | 11:41 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 16,064
De-icing fluid is usually hot ethylene glycol. It is red and sticky. Not easy to confuse with water.
I'm curious to know which one it was though. An aircraft with a possible leak should not have flown.
I'm curious to know which one it was though. An aircraft with a possible leak should not have flown.
Dec 24, 2000 | 5:55 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2000
Programs: UA 1PMM,AAG; usedtobeelite
Posts: 2,500
Agree it was condensate. I've seen it happen several times to window seat occupants. People really jump when it happens to them. The FA probably has seen it a lot and only appeared unconcerned from a distance.
Customers generally do not require de-icing, usually the opposite.
Customers generally do not require de-icing, usually the opposite.
Dec 24, 2000 | 11:41 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Va Beach, Va, USA
Posts: 244
Well, it came in through a crack between the light and vent controls, and it was pinkish-red...
It sure looked like the pink stuff that was on the outside of the windows.... But then again, it didn't drip on me... I'm just going by what the guy said it was... He was pretty sure it wasn't water...
It sure looked like the pink stuff that was on the outside of the windows.... But then again, it didn't drip on me... I'm just going by what the guy said it was... He was pretty sure it wasn't water...
Dec 24, 2000 | 12:31 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Smoke filled room, TPA and FLL/MIA :UAL 1K and 2MM,AA EX PLAT and 2MM,Lifetime Plat Starwood
Posts: 4,318
Maybe the planes "bleed" red... just like the tail. Nothing would suprise me with NW. By the way did the FA really give away a "FREE" paper towel? Was it one ply or two ply? Does management know that the FA's giving away FREE stuff? This must stop. 
Dec 26, 2000 | 9:40 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Memphis, TN USA UA 1K, NW Platinum, AA Gold, Starwood Platinum, HHonors Gold
Posts: 701
ROFL !!!
Dec 28, 2000 | 11:00 am
#8
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Programs: Delta Million Miler/Diamond, SPG Plat
Posts: 287
I'm disapointed in you guys (and gals). Of course he didnt have to pay for the paper towel. It most likely was an international flight to Canada and therefore like the headsets, the paper towel was free. He just had to return it back to one of the flight attendants at the conclusion of the inflight music entertainment, which in this case was, "De-Icing Drops Keep Falling On My Head"
Dec 28, 2000 | 2:26 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 1999
Location: Bryn Mawr PA & Wailea HI
Posts: 15,726
Just for the record, airplane de-icing fluid is primarily propylene glycol and not the nasty ethylene glycol. The former can be consumed (first, you better check if it is food-grade) and the latter is a nasty poison to cats, dogs and humans. The recommended application temperature is 180 deg F in order to take advantage of the cheap sensible heat at that temperature.
De-icing fluid is not considered hazardous by OSHA, DOT, DOD, NIOSH etc. An MSDS sheet can be viewed at http://www.ascent1.com/anti01.htm
MisterNice
De-icing fluid is not considered hazardous by OSHA, DOT, DOD, NIOSH etc. An MSDS sheet can be viewed at http://www.ascent1.com/anti01.htm
MisterNice