What type of contamination is specifically checked during the tactile inspection?

The correct answer is focused on frost and ice because a tactile inspection is designed to detect frozen contaminants that can adversely affect aircraft performance and safety. During this inspection, personnel physically feel the surface of the aircraft to identify any presence of frost, ice, or snow, which may not be visible to the naked eye.

This method is crucial because the tactile sense can help distinguish between contaminants that require removal to ensure safe aircraft operation and those that do not. In contrast, checks for other types of contamination, such as sand, dust, oil, fuel spills, or paint defects, generally involve visual inspections or specific cleaning processes rather than a tactile approach. These other forms of contamination are significant but are addressed through different inspection methods.