right look looks like we'll listen for airspeed I wish would turn back yeah I know since of crosswinds or the temperature fell we started really picking up a lot more ice look I'm at full throttle we're only 110 knots we've already lost 45 knots are we gonna make the airport at Troy now we needed different airports one with Maya's connieyc tiny egg has an ILS Detroit approaches 7-0 kilo bonanza 7-0 kilo Richard approach go ahead need to change our destination to do the ILS the Pontiac but as a 7-0 kilo Roger climb and maintain 3,500 vectors Pontiac 3507 0 kilo can't climb we can't climb I just what choice I've got it Bonanza 7-0 kilo maintain 3500 have you started your climb sir negative we can't climb and as a 7-0 kilo the minimum vectoring altitude is 3500 maintain 3500 over I can't climb we're picking up ice Bonanza 7 0 kilo Roger understand you're picking up ice by hitting two seven zero this will be vectors ILS runway nine approach at Pontiac hey Bill bill come here real quick this Bonanza 70 kilo he's picking up ice I'm taking him out for the ILS runway 9 approach at Pontiac it's probably severe because he can't hold his altitude co Pontiac Tower telling his inbound they might want to have the truck standing by I'm gonna declare an emergency on this guy okay Luke thanks Bill okay I don't think we're gonna make it to the other side of the airport to do this approach ask for a closer approach but approach 7-0 kilo we can't make the ILS we need another approach to Pontiac another approach but as a 7-0 kilo Roger TURN RIGHT heading three one zero localizer back course from to serve the Pontiac intercept the localizer three one zero for the intercept back course seven zero kilo negative seven zero Keitel say souls on board seven zero kilo two souls on board the story you've just seen was based on an actual flight a flight instructor and his student departed Cleveland in a bonanza bound for Detroit they made a number of mistakes and found themselves in a life-threatening icing encounter often each mistake a pilot makes closes the door to one more option for a safe recovery ice is one of a pilot's most insidious enemies there are no hard and fast rules every encounter is unique and to some extent unpredictable and different aircraft may react differently to the same icing condition every encounter has the potential to be dangerous accidents due to airframe icing usually involve experienced pilots this video will help you open the door to more safety options and give you the tools to successfully avoid ice and to exit and inadvertent icing encounter we will follow two pilots through each phase of flight Rhona is flying from Lorraine Ohio to Grand Rapids Michigan her Seneca is certified for flight into known icing Greg is flying from Lorraine Ohio to Dayton Ohio his Saratoga is not equipped with an ice protection system and is not certified for flight into known icing we will present alternate situations to illustrate other icing challenges the red filmstrip will designate these alternate situations in order to present accurate and visually descriptive icing encounters it was necessary to insert in flight icing images acquired on NASA icing research aircraft as a general aviation pilot you have a tremendous responsibility unlike airline pilots who have an elaborate infrastructure to a system general aviation pilots have a greater responsibility for gathering analyzing and applying information to make the go no-go decision the general aviation pilot bases this decision on prevailing weather conditions the aircraft capability and must pass judgment on his or her own capability at the time of flight general aviation aircraft often fly at altitudes conducive to atmospheric icing conditions the threat zone changes altitude with season and geography even small amounts of ice can significantly degrade your aircraft's performance and handling airframe or structural icing will both increase drag and reduce maximum lift this means the stall speed will increase and you may notice a decreased airspeed or that more power is required to maintain a given airspeed your aircraft will burn more fuel and the maximum range will be reduced the drag can increase to the point where it will overcome the amount of excess thrust available in this case attempting to climb or even maintain altitude by increasing the angle of attack could result in a stall the iced wing will always stall sooner that is to say at a lower angle of attack or higher airspeed than a clean wing if you find yourself in such a situation do not stall the aircraft be prepared to accept a controlled descent possibly to an off field landing keeping the aircraft flying and under your control is paramount to survival here you'll see two pilots rona and Greg obtaining weather briefings Greg piloting an unprotected Saratoga is obtaining his weather briefing from do aughts and rona piloting a protected Seneca is getting a phone briefing directly from flight service our pilots need to ask two questions about the potential for icing conditions along their routes where is the ice where is it safe icing conditions exist weather is visible moisture and temperatures are in the freezing range visible moisture includes clouds and precipitation the freezing range starts near plus two degrees Celsius and runs until about minus 20 although aircraft can accrete ice below that typically the closer to freezing the more caution is warranted icing conditions do not exist when you are outside of the clouds there is no freezing precipitation or the temperature is outside of the freezing range to find out where ice exists and where it is safe Rhona and greg need to focus on obtaining ceilings tops freezing level high reps and any frontal activity over their entire route this is an addition to the air mats and signets obtained from the standard briefing that's all I need thanks a lot bye-bye are you going to be able to make your flight today I think so forecasts only calling for moderate to light ice from the freezing level to 15,000 feet and the freezing levels at 7,000 feet ceilings are 1 to 2,000 feet with 10 miles visibility friends shouldn't come through until an hour after I get to Dayton did you get high reps yeah from a bearing about an hour ago he was over Sandusky he got on top at 10,000 feet it was clear above a negative ice you know I looked at the weather for a few airports to the west of Dayton and their forecast wasn't holding I think the fronts coming through a lot faster than they thought I'm going to Grand Rapids and she gave me a freezing level at 7,000 along my route I got the bear and pie rep but I also got a report from a Cessna 210 at Muskegon and they were picking up ice at 4,000 do you have any outs if you find the funds coming through a little faster than you thought yeah I've got a number outs with the weather conditions on the route I'm flying first I filed for 6000 feet but the MEA is only 4,000 feet so I have room to descend if I need to in fact if I need to divert ceilings of visibilities are good and the MEA to Columbus is only 3,000 feet I should be able to make it safely well since they're not forecasting any ice along your route why don't you just file for 10,000 on top because the forecast freezing level was 7,000 feet and if I enter a cloud that's forecast icing and I'd be illegal oh I thought it was only illegal for known icing that changed the regs forecast icing and since the Saratoga isn't certified for flight into ice since I'll have to fly through it I can't do it I'll have to settle for six but that should keep me above the freezing temperature these pre-flight tools will help you open the door to more outs and make a safe go no-go decision regardless of the type of aircraft you're piloting your go no-go decision should be based on whether or not you have a number of reliable outs along your entire route if conditions aren't what you expected if all conditions need to be just right for you to make your flight safely and you have no outs consider rerouting so you have reliable outs delaying or not going now in the next sequence Rhona and Greg are going to their same destinations with a different set of weather conditions are you going to be able to make your trip today you know I don't think so forecast freezing levels at the surface and the enroute ceilings are 500 feet I'd be illegal besides I wouldn't have any outs tops are being reported 18,000 feet so any altitude is going to keep me any ice yes I got a pirate from an md80 along my route today he was picking up light to moderate mixed icing and a Cessna 414 they were at my destination Airport and reported severe icing so I went to the ads website and they predicted icing along most of my route ads what's ads oh the aviation digital data service yeah but you're still gonna go right you've got boots that's the biggest out there is no it's not safe for me to go either the conditions are so widespread I couldn't flight plan to stay out of the ice and I wouldn't have any outs the conditions right now a grand rapids are calling 200 a half-mile and snow showers below my personal minimums everything would have to go just right and boots aren't always and out depending upon the icing they may buy me some time until I can get out and that Cessna 414 giving a severe icing report at my destination Airport I'm not going oh you're right ice the light to moderate icing report from the md80 could translate into a moderate to severe encounter for a ga aircraft also the severe icing report from the Cessna 414 over the destination Airport is likely to exceed Rona's ice protection system the PI reps along with the adds weather report indicate that icing conditions are likely to be severe and widespread aircraft are certified for a specific icing envelope while this envelope covers the vast majority of icing encounters it does not cover them all some aircraft accidents are due to conditions that exceed this envelope and overwhelmed the aircraft's ice protection system ice protection systems are best used as a defensive measure to buy time until you can exit the icing condition don't assume that you're legal to fly in icing conditions because your aircraft has a supplemental type certificate for an optional ice protection system an STC system indicates the hardware is air worthy but its effectiveness and ice removal may not have been demonstrated only with certified ice protection systems can you intentionally fly into known or forecast icing if you're not sure check the pilots operating handbook it is very important to remove all snow ice and frost from the aircraft during pre-flight pay close attention to frost build up even a thin layer of frost can severely affect aircraft performance if your aircraft has been stored in a heated hangar snow could melt and refreeze on your aircraft also during pre-flight be sure to check that your pitot heat is working if you're piloting a protected aircraft remember to check your ice protection systems during run-up it's better to detect malfunctions on the ground rather than in-flight 7 Mike alpha cleared to Grand Rapids radar vector Sandusky Victor 32 Litchfield direct Grand Rapids maintain 4,000 expect eight thousand and ten minutes one to four point zero score for six released at 1815 Boyd if not off by 1822 the time now is 1805 okay two Niner five zero Romeo is cleared to India 19 radar vectors driver Victor for 35 rows with direct climb and maintain 3000 expects 6000 and 1 0 minutes cleveland departure 1 to 4 point 0 5 3 4 7 and released in 1833 employed at 1840 the forecast for Greg's route is one to two thousand foot ceilings and unrestricted visibility underneath tops are layered from 6,000 to 10,000 and the freezing level is at 7,000 Cleveland approach Sarah took a 295 C romeo's off Loraine County climbing through 2300 for three thousand Saratoga 295 zero Romeo Cleveland approach Ritter contact three miles west of Lorain County climb and maintain 6,000 at a 2500 for six thousand five CA Romeo great monitors is outside air temperature or Oh a T gauge on climb out and notices the freezing level is actually lower than forecast he is vigilant to monitor the threat of icing always considering his available outs Mike we've got 500 feet to go in the Oh 80 gauge is already at zero I don't think we'll make six let alone stay there and it looks like we're already picking up some ice yeah I'm going to see if we get a lower altitude Center Sarah took a two-niner-five Co Romeo is picking up spice request 4000 and we could take a heading change November 5 zero Romeo maintain 6,000 for crossing traffic senator five zero Romeo needs an immediate descent any direction November 5 zero Romeo Roger TURN RIGHT heading two seven zero to send am 18 four thousand five CR Romeo is out of six thousand for 4000 right three two seven zero use the term immediate when it's necessary to avoid an imminent situation also if you're requesting an altitude change let the controller know that you're willing to take a heading change to expedite the clearance Rona's protected Seneca is not immune to icing situations she is now cruising at 8,000 with an O a T of minus 10 degrees Celsius and she's picking up ice you know we're picking up some ice I'm going to find out where the tops are we'd be better off on top and sitting down here Cleveland Center 7 Mike alpha jiminy top reports or icy reports for our area tsegga 7 Mike alpha Roger tops reported in the area around 9500 clear above and we don't have any pilot reports indicating any icing in your immediate area over 7 Mike alpha requesting climb to 10,000 like a7 Mike alpha Roger maintain 8,000 for traffic I have your request expect higher in 1 0 miles Roger 7 Mike alpha maintain 8,000 rona should we ask for immediate climb to get out of this ice no it's only light ice our boots will handle that for 10 miles if it were moderate or severe though I'd ask for an immediate climb in this situation climbing on top is clearly the right choice however if the tops aren't attainable you should still try to get out of the ice climbing to colder temperatures reduces the chances of a hazardous icing encounter and allows you more altitude to recover there are typically 5 safety outlets and a priority handling device in any in-flight icing situation they are climb descend continue divert or return remember these safety outlets apply to both unprotected and protected aircraft whose safe outcome is in question the priority handling device is the ability to declare in emergency if the situation deteriorates and the safe outcome of the flight is in question declare an emergency this will give you priority handling and allow you to edit your situation as soon as possible consider climbing when you can top the clouds even if you remain in the cloud chances are you will climb out of the icing environment or at least reduce the threat by climbing to colder temperatures climbing also increases your ground clearance should you need to recover from a control anomaly be aware of cloud tops however this is where icing can be the worst consider descending when you can get below the clouds or to temperatures above freezing even if you remain in the cloud chances are you will descend out of the icing environment also be mindful of your MEA and that you will have less ground clearance under no circumstances should you remain in freezing rain or freezing drizzle continue your flight if it appears you are in the process of exiting the icing threat for example if you're exiting the cloud consider returning to your departure Airport when early in your flight you discover the weather conditions are worse than expected consider diverting when you can circumnavigate an icing threat of course you may have to divert and land at an alternate Airport in that case the best choice may be behind you any course change requires communication with ATC be sure to clearly convey the level of urgency mention you are in icing if you're unsatisfied with the ATC response declaring an emergency will give you priority handling by doing so ATC is allowed to help you exit the icing condition as soon as possible recall that FA are 91.3 states in an emergency requiring immediate action the pilot in command may deviate from any rule to the extent required to meet the emergency often there will be no post flight consequences to you on some occasions you may have to fill out some paperwork perhaps more but whatever the cost it is up to you to ensure the safe outcome of the flight bronto we're picking up some ice light to moderate rime I think I'd call it moderate mixed I should do a PI rep good idea call it in alright Cleveland Center seventh Mike alpha would like to make a pilot report some of my golf oh cool head Seneca seven Mike alpha is five northwest of Waterville at eight thousand and we're getting some moderate mixed icing in the clouds we've lost five knots of airspeed outside air temperature is minus ten Celsius number seven nine copper under heavy report thank you PI reps provide a snapshot of specific weather conditions for a particular location and altitude at a given time they are especially helpful for indicating whether or not ice actually exists however PI reps have limitations because icing is often transient in nature the validity of the icing reports can change high reps our aircraft and ice protection systems specific and are the subjective assessment of the pilot making the report even so request and report PI reps reporting a PI rep is just as important as requesting one especially when conditions are better or worse than expected also it's important to report the absence of ice when it's been forecasted this way forecasting can be validated and improved the identification of ice type and severity is still a subjective call for pilots there are three types of ice rime clear and mixed rime ice has a milky opaque appearance the look of a freezer that needs to be defrosted in many cases rime ice either conforms to the wings leading edge or appears as a sharp pointed shape clear ice tends to be transparent and often is very rough it can form horns which will generate significant drag these horns more significantly disrupt the airflow over the wing and tail mixed ice is a combination of rime and clear it occurs in conditions between pure rime and pure clear it typically appears clear in the center with white feathers on the side whether you're exposed to light moderate or severe ice is determined by how the airframe responds to the icing environment this response is a combination of ice protection system aircraft configuration flight condition and atmospheric conditions light ice indicates that the rate of accumulation is such that occasional use of ice protection systems is required to remove or prevent accumulation moderate ice indicates that frequent use of ice protection systems is necessary to remove or prevent ice and severe ice indicates that the rate of accumulation is so fast that ice protection systems failed to remove the accumulation of ice you need to exit this condition immediately even though pi reps can be kind of a pain in the neck it's important to make pi reps as a matter of fact when we look for ice as we do in research we use the PI reps as a single most important factor in finding out exactly where the icing is we realize it can be somewhat subjective based on the type of aircraft you fly or your experience level the flipside of that of course is interpreting the PI reps for example Boeing 737 climbing through a certain altitude might report light ice when in fact it may be severe to a Cessna 182 that has a slower climb rate or in fact may be stuck right in the middle of the ice so be aware and interpret the pie reps an area of particular concern for all pilots is a weather phenomenon known as supercooled large droplets or s LD s LD refers to droplet sizes that are larger than what is currently required for aircraft certification into known icing and includes freezing rain and freezing drizzle s LD will cause a chrétien to form beyond protected regions of the wing as well as parts of the aircraft that normally do not get ice for GA aircraft s LD conditions should be considered severe and extremely dangerous seneca 7 mike alpha climb and maintain 1-0 thousand 7 mike alpha out of 8 for 10,000 I'm gonna hit the boots again I thought you had to have a half inch of ice on him before you kicked him no it's better to keep the wing as clean as possible what about ice bridging that just doesn't exist with today's boots until recently pilots had been instructed to wait for the ice to build up to a certain thickness before activating their boots it was believed that if the boots were activated too early the ice might not break off but instead expand to the shape of the inflated boot and remain in that position this would leave a gap between the boot and the ice that subsequent boot cycles could not remove this phenomenon was referred to as ice bridging ice bridging was attributed to early boot technology that had very wide tubes and slowed inflation and deflation rates however recent technical and operational information indicates that modern pneumatic boots characteristically do not have ice bridging problems no accidents or incidents have been attributed to ice bridging with modern boots what you may see is residual ice which will clear on subsequent boot cycles boots should be activated at the first sign of ice and as often as needed for final authority on proper use of your ice protection systems refer to your poh or AFM always pay close attention for signs of ice accretion usually aircraft components with a small radius or a fin leading edge will accrete ice first objects such as an OE probe or wing struts will typically show the first signs of ice accretion ice may also appear on the windscreen pay close attention to the O 80 gauge in flight icing conditions exist when the outside air temperature is about plus 2 degrees or below and some water in the cloud is liquid at the first sign of ice turn on all of your ice protection equipment this may include windshield heat or defroster prop D ice fluid surface D icers and pneumatic boots of course if the pitot heat wasn't turned on prior to takeoff it should be on prior to entering visible moisture if the temperature is in the freezing range even if your ice protection system is working the increased drag from non protected surfaces may still be significant for example a NASA research aircraft experienced a 36% increase in drag with the clear ice accretion on the unprotected surfaces with the ice protection system working greg is ten miles northeast of Rosewood and 30 miles from his destination Airport at i-19 dayton Green County his o 80 gauge is dropping to minus three degrees Celsius it is apparent that the front came through sooner than the forecast and he just crossed it Greg checks his o eighty probe and wing and doesn't see ice yet he realizes conditions are ripe for icing so he reviews his options he knows he can't stay there since he's at 4,000 feet the MEA he is lost he out of going lower he immediately queries ATC to get pie wraps by kovitch there's some ice around here I don't think we should wait till we get in and let's see if we climb on top sounds like a good idea Columbus approached Saratoga two-niner-five Co Romeo do you have any top reports or icing pie reps in the area November times here at Romeo negative standby 22 5 for Victor what were the tops in your climb Columbus tops furred 5,600 clear above like mixed icing four thousand to five thousand six hundred Saratoga five zero Romeo a Mooney five southeast of Rosewood reports a tops at 5600 clear above he also reports light mixed icing between 4,000 and 5600 what are Greg's best safety outlets climbing offers the best option in this case the tops are only 1600 feet above he cannot descend because he's at his mea to continue will only prolong his exposure to ice to divert or return is viable but more drastic than necessary Roger five cigarettes here Romeo requests clampy 6000 November 5 zero Romeo Roger standby hey there it is we're picking up spice approaches 5 fear Romeo we're picking up ice we need an immediate climb we'll take any heading search of the thigh here Romeo Roger climbing 19 6,000 leaving 4,000 for 6000 now what if Greg's aircraft were so ice he couldn't climb Columbus approaches 5 Co Romeo we're picking up a lot of ice we've been unable of 18 altitude November 5 is here Romeo say your intentions five-year Romi we'd like to declare an emergency you get vectors to the nearest airport November 5 zero Romeo Roger belfontaine is 7 miles to the east expect vectors for the NDB or GPS - to approach turn radiating zero nine zero decided maintain 3000 zero nine zero leaving four thousand four three thousand expected gps two two five zero Romeo remember any time the outcome of your flight is in question don't hesitate to declare an emergency good afternoon Grand Rapids approach for nine or seven Mike alpha with you at ten thousand said take a four Niner seven Mike alpha grand rapids approach control descend and maintain four thousand fly present heading vectors ILS runway three five seven Mike alpha leaving ten thousand for four thousand Bob why don't you get the a discourse okay there you go Grand Rapids International Airport information tango 25 five Sulu wind three zero zero and five visibility two fists ceiling five hundred overcast temperature minus two dewpoint minus three altimeter to nine or nine or seven ILS approach to runway three five and use departing runway 35 notice to Airmen ILS runway two six left out of service okay we're leveling off at 4,000 and we're just on top look over there at the rainbow right there around that shadow on the cloud you see the shadow yeah they look neat don't they and you know what that means right has something to do with moisture doesn't it yes definitely indicates there's liquid water in the clouds and we're at minus 6 degrees we're definitely going to get ice I'm sure we will Rona was able to gather icing information from the rainbow around her shadow on the cloud a rainbow indicates the existence of liquid water in the cloud if the temperature is in the freezing range you'll probably get ice however this will not indicate the type or severity of ice to get this information you should query for pi reps along your route sanika 7 mike alpha dissenter maintain 3,500 fly heading three five zero seven mike alpha leaving four four three point five right turn two three five zero you have the prop heat on I turned it on when I spotted the rainbow but you know 3500 is going to put us right near the tops sometimes that's where the worst icing is it looks like we're picking up some moderate clear now Rhoda's just descended into the clouds and she knows to expect ice the question is how bad climbing is probably her best option since she knows it's clear above descending will only keep her in the icing environment since the temperature is -6 C and the ceiling is 500 feet continuing or diverting will unnecessarily prolong her exposure to ice Bob this is crazy we're getting moderate clear I'm going to ask to go back on top what about going lower no the ADA's reported 500 feet and minus 2 degrees we could be in icing the whole way down if it was my only option I'd take it and probably get out of this moderate clear our best option is to climb back on top rapid approach this is 7 Mike alpha we're getting moderate clear ice we'd like to go back to 4,000 seneca 7 Mike alpha Roger climb and maintain 4,000 the Grand Rapids altimeter 29.92 7 Greg is on top at 6,000 he climbed from for his MEA to escape an icing encounter the O 80 reads -5 C and the tops are at 5600 Greg now has to consider his next move he is concerned that his destination Airport is socked in plate watches to Saratoga two-niner-five seer romeo 20 miles northeast of rosewood at 6,000 a roger on november 2 9 5 0 romeo this is in annapolis flight watch voice for dayton go ahead write watch 5 see Romeo's 20 miles northeast arose roadie and rad PD at 19 requested enroute briefing Roger sir Green County has no weather reporting the closest airport is wright-patterson and they're reporting 2,000 overcast temperature minus 3 dewpoint minus 8 altimeter three zero one five visibility one five when two eight zero at one zero and there was a pilot report about an hour ago from a baron that reported light to moderate clear icing on the climb with tops to 5,800 over why watch five zero me are there any airports an area with better conditions and November 5 zero Romeo affirmative it looks like hook field is your best bet thereäôs is reporting scattered layer at 2,000 temperature minus two dew point - Niner altimeter three zero one one when two eight zero at one zero visibility 1 5 and negative ice and reports for that area over thanks for the report Gregg's checked all his options diverting to the alternate Airport hook field makes the most sense Dayton approached Saratoga two-niner-five see Romeo like to do an approach to Mike whiskey Oscar hook field and request VFR flight following to Green County India 19 refine see Romeo Roger you're now cleared to hook field via radar victors fly present heading descend and maintain 4,000 approach YC Romeo would like to state success on our top as long as possible sir to the time zero Romeo if you'd like to stay at six I'll have to take you around the Dayton class seat Roger five zero me we still prefer to stay at six the number five zero Romeo Roger turn left heading one four zero maintain 6,000 right was fortunate enough to be able to make an approach at a nearby airport that had good weather he will continue on to his destination VFR even though it's going to take more time to reach his destination Airport staying out of the icing condition is paramount notice Greg did not accept a clearance that would take him into potential icing conditions pilots in unprotected aircraft should not accept ATC direction into potentially hazardous icing conditions November 5 0 Romeo you're six miles from Oneida maintain 3000 until established on the localizer cleared for the localizer runway 2/3 approach at hook field changed to advisory frequency is approved report back on this frequency of on completion of the approach for VFR advisories pricier romeo cleared localizer maintain 3 till establish clear - switch - advisories will report back with you after the approach of 5 C Romeo greg's decisions allow him to make an ice free approach remember if you make an approach in icing conditions you could accumulate enough ice to make a missed approach as well as a second attempt at landing impossible if better weather conditions are not an option and you're forced to make an approach in icing conditions consider a destination Airport with an ILS this will provide you with a more stabilized approach and increase the likelihood of a successful landing now the weather conditions are much worse and the alternator in Greg's aircraft has just failed he is forced to land there are low ceilings in the area the freezing level is at the surface and a king air just ahead reported light to moderate clear icing his best choice is to find a nearby airport that allows him to make an ILS approach do you think we'll be able to get into Green County I'm not gonna take that chance since we have to make an approach and icing will go to Springfield into the ILS we could always try the NDB to Green County and go to Springfield if we don't get in no we might get so iced up we can only make one approach I want to do an ILS to make sure we get in my plan is to stay on top as long as possible I know we'll get ice on the approach well add 10 knots or so and then do an O flap landing oh I see what you're doing and Springfield also has longer runways that's right eight five zero may I'd like to change our destination to Springfield we also like to stay on top here at five Saratoga 5-0 romeo fly present heading maintain 5,000 expect ILS runway 2-4 approach at springfield price here are male roger fly present heading and maintain 5,000 expect to our last report springfield because there is a greater risk of pitch or roll upsets at slower speeds most icing accidents occur during the approach and landing phase of the flight sadhika 7 Mike alpha he sent a maintain 3000 by heading two seven zero vector to the ILS runway three five left 270 ILS runway 35 why'd you turn the autopilot off I thought it can fly the ILS whenever you fly in ice it's better to hand fly your airplane that way you can feel the plane talk to you if you are nicing especially during the approach hand fly your aircraft the autopilot is likely to mass the first indications of an upset if you hand fly you'll feel the impending handling anomaly and be able to recover before it's too late hey even if your aircraft is protected you're going to continually build ice and fly the aircraft ice that seems to have little effect during cruise can have significant effects when airspeed is reduced or the configuration has changed especially during approach and landing your aircraft is pushed toward its performance limits this puts it at some risk for ice contaminated wing or tail stall ice contaminated wing stall occurs when the wing angle of attack is too high this corresponds to a slow airspeed if the wing does stall the aircraft will either roll or pitch nose down symptoms of an imminent wing stall include airframe buffets and sluggish or ineffective roll control the recovery from an ice contaminated wing stall is the same as a clean wing stall immediately reduce the angle of attack reducing the angle of attack reattaches air flow to the wings upper surface the wing angle of attack is reduced by pushing forward on the yoke and adding power if the wing is iced you cannot rely on your stall warning device because the iced wing is likely to stall at a lower angle of attack than a clean way also the stall warning system can freeze on an unprotected aircraft rendering it absolutely useless while a wing stall with ice is more common an ice contaminated horizontal stabilizer can also lead to loss of pitch control in most aircraft designs the horizontal stabilizer has a sharper leading edge than the wing therefore it collects ice much more efficiently if you notice any ice on the wing it is likely that the ice has already been accreting on the horizontal stabilizer for quite some time a tail stall or a pitch upset usually occurs during or after flap extension flap extension greatly increases the local angle of attack at the tail also higher speeds or a high speed for flap extension further increases the tail plane angle of attack finally if the thrust line on your aircraft is above the center of gravity adding power will increase the nose-down pitch and aggravate a tail stall prior to a tail stall you're likely to experience some significant but subtle warning signs at first you may experience lightening of the yoke in the forward direction other signs include difficulty trimming the pitch and the onset of pitch excursion similar to pilot induced oscillations if this situation progresses you may also experience buffeting in the yoke but not the airframe in extreme cases the yoke might want to snatch forward if this happens the nose will suddenly pitch down to recover from a tail stall pull back on the yoke to resist the nose-down pitch raise the flaps and consider reducing power the differences in tectal cues between a wing and a tail stall are subtle the recovery procedures are opposite you must be able to quickly and correctly distinguish between the two the key factors are air speed and flap deflection a wing will stall when the critical angle of attack is exceeded this typically corresponds to a slow airspeed a tail stall occurs at a high enough tail plane angle of attack this almost always corresponds to lowering the flaps to recover from a wing stall push forward on the yoke and add power on the other hand to recover from a tail stall pull the yoke back raise the flaps and consider reducing power when it comes to handling events remember one thing undo what you just did this might be all you need to recover whether you're piloting a protected or unprotected aircraft here are some strategies to minimize your exposure to ice on approach while being vectored for final approach or flying a full non-precision approach stay on top as long as possible and practical in fact if conditions and your comfort level allow stay on top until intercepting the final approach course and glide slope inbound don't accept intermediate altitude assignments in icing conditions be aware that this could result in a higher than normal descent rate on a non-precision approach keep your speed up this will increase the stall margin if it's snowing at your destination chances are you won't pick up ice if the cloud is glaciated the water is already frozen ice crystals will harmlessly bounce off your aircraft Rhona is on ILS approach into her final destination the ceilings are at 500 feet and the freezing level is at the surface silica 7 my Galvin TURN RIGHT heading three three zero five miles per gallon maintain 3000 until established on the localizer cleared ILS runway 35 over caldo contact Grand Rapids Tower good day Roger 7 Mike alpha right turn two three three zero cleared ILS three five maintain 3000 to establish call the tower at caldo okay Bob will cycle the boots at the final approach fix and then one last time when we break out of the clouds we'll also keep the speed up about 10 knots on final yeah that sounds good to me as busy as you are remember to cycle your boots at the final fix this will keep your wings clean during this crucial phase of flight to increase the stall margin keep your speed up Gregg is able to make a VFR approach and landing and did not accept a clearance that would take him into potential icing conditions Dayton approach 5c Romeo we have Green County in sight like to cancel flight following I've ever finds here Romeo Rogers o'clock one two zero zero frequency teams approved ok squawk at 1200 frequency change approved today 5c Romeo Green County Unicom Saratoga two-niner-five Co romeo request Airport Advisory November 5 CI Romeo Green County is using runway 2 v Windsor two eight zero eight Niner no other traffic reported Greg is able to make a VFR approach in landing but he still has some residual ice on his airplane from the earlier inadvertent ice encounter remember ice which has little effect during cruise can have significant effects when airspeed is reduced or the configuration is changed if your aircraft is or you suspect it is carrying ice remember the following increase your approach speed this allows you to increase your stall margin and make a safer approach and landing consider landing with no flaps or reduce flaps if you're worried about a tail stall this will increase your margin minimize your Bank angle for example that the aircraft is not aligned with the runway don't make any high bank turns instead use shallow manoeuvres turns will decrease the stall margin bringing you closer to a stall and if you're worried about maintaining altitude due to the drag penalty consider delaying gear extension until the runway is assured this bonanza 70 kilo he's picking up ice I'm taking him out for the ILS runway 9 approach at Pontiac it's probably severe because he can't hold his altitude co Pontiac tower telling his inbound they might want to have the truck standing by I'm gonna declare an emergency on this guy okay Lou thanks Bill okay I don't think we're gonna make it to the other side of the airport to do this approach as her closer approach but approach 7-0 kilo we can't make the ILS in another approach of Pontiacs another approach after asking us how many souls were onboard air traffic control vector us towards Pontiac Airport by the time we intercepted the localizer we were clearly well below the minimum descent altitude we had difficulty maintaining altitude and were lead losing altitude at 100 200 feet a minute despite being under full power our major concern at this time was maintaining control of the aircraft fortunately by this time was were three miles from the airport we were stopped we stopped accumulating ice and our defroster was working well enough that we had good visibility forward out of the windscreen we still had no side of the ground and only as we came over the runway could we see downward and see the concrete at which point we then put the landing gear down and made a very hard full stall landing it was quite evident that we could not have gone another quarter mile we did taxi out down to the ramp and when I got out of the aircraft the amount of ice is truly indescribable there was ice covering the entire aircraft including the antenna the propeller spinner had ice about a foot long and the wings had six inches of ice in a shape of a horn coming off the front leading edges hadn't been through this experience and survived to both tell you about it and hopefully teach you about it I would ask that you keep one thing in mind always and that is to respect the power of ice on an aircraft with the weather changes I'm glad we made it even with all the route changes we're only 20 minutes late it's good to have out Grand Rapids tower 7 Mike alpha with you on ALS 3 5 7 Mike alpha clear to land runway 3 5 Roger 7 Mike alpha clear land 3 5 Rona I have the runway okay Bob I'll take over visually rather that was a great flight thanks a lot the best insurance against an icing encounter is avoidance develop a preflight plan know where the ice is and where it is safe remember ice can only exist when there is visible moisture and temperatures are in the freezing range be sure you know the freezing levels cloud tops ceilings and any relevant PI reps also be aware of any frontal activity along your route and up weather always build reliable outs into your flight plan you may have to reroute to ensure this if reliable outs are not possible consider delaying or not going report and request PI reps they are the most accurate way of determining current icing conditions they are especially helpful when conditions are better or worse than expected be assertive with ATC if you're piloting an unprotected aircraft do not accept ATC clearances in a hold climb or descent that would put you at a potentially hazardous icing condition if icing conditions do exist be vigilant to the cues of ice accretion pay attention to the areas of the aircraft with a small radius or thin leading edge they will accrete ice first hand fly your aircraft in possible icing conditions this will provide tactile cues to early signs of potential roll or pitch upset monitor your airspeed and/or power settings if you notice significant performance degradation exit the condition immediately it is always a good idea to work to exit icing conditions whether the aircraft is protected or not never use the ice protection system as a tool of complacency typically you can climb descend continue divert or return to exit icing conditions once you determine you need to exit clearly communicate to ATC the urgency of the situation if you do not get the clearance to make the required change and feel the safety of the flight is in jeopardy declare an emergency if iced be careful of configuration or flight condition changes on approach keep your speed up this will increase your wing stall margin also consider a no flap or reduce flap landing to increase your tail stall margin finally if you're unable to maintain altitude consider delaying gear extension until the runway is assured remember these tools are the keys to help you open the door to more safety options and successfully avoid ice and exit and inadvertent ice encounter
