Narrative:

While flying an small transport single pilot on 12/fri/88 at approximately XA20, inversion was discovered at 7000' MSL while on IFR radar vectors to uca. Temperature was +10 degrees C at 70 and ATIS reported uca temperature of 27 degrees F. Griffis approach control cleared me to 3000'. While passing through 4300' MSL broke out of cloud bases, reported uca in sight and was cleared for a visibility approach to runway 15. ATIS reported ice pellets and light freezing rain. Expected some ice accumulation, so I then activated engine intake heat, propeller de-ice (electric) and boot automatic cycle for wings and horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Passing through 2700' MSL temperature went to -1 degree C and ice began to accumulate on windshield. I then activated windshield alcohol in 'automatic on mode.' by this time I was in the downwind leg, had gear extended, and ice really started to accumulate (severe). Switched to uca tower and was cleared to land on 15. Began base leg and on roll out alcohol would not keep windshield clear of ice. Advised tower I was starting missed approach, was instructed to fly runway heading and climb to 3000'. (I had been in similar situations before and simply climbed to higher altitude to let ice melt off.) I would then make fairly steep approach to airport (to spend as little time in icing conditions as possible). I then gave the aircraft 100% torque to takeoff thrust, pitched up 10 degrees and aircraft didn't climb. At this point I was still on base leg passing the final approach course. I waited about 5 seconds to verify if aircraft would not climb. Decided I then had a problem and would deploy flaps and make a blind approach to uca by slipping aircraft into final and using side window for visibility reference. Aircraft was high at this point, so I put flap indicator to the 5 degree position and aircraft yawed violently to the right. Felt like asymmetrical deployment of flaps. Quickly reset flap indicator to 0 degrees. I was sinking at about 800 FPM now, and well past final approach to uca. Tried to turn with yoke (aircraft has spoilerons) to uca final. Aircraft would not respond and began to sink even faster. Looked out left window and saw rme AFB runway 33. Immediately switched back to griffiss approach and advised them of problem and that I was going to land. Rme then cleared me to land on 33. Tried to turn left with spoilerons--no response. Began using rudder to maneuver aircraft toward final. Could not turn quickly enough. I then decided to make a gradual turn to final on 15. At this time sink rate was 1200 FPM. Asked for 15 and controller cleared me to land. Controller then exclaimed they had trucks on runway. Had to slow descent rate somehow, so I cycled gear up and increased power to 110 degrees thrust--sink rate slowed to 800 FPM. I then proceeded to use rudder and even differential thrust to maneuver aircraft to final. About 1/2 mi out at about 1 45 degree angle to final, controller advised trucks were still on runway, asked if I could enter downwind to runway 33. I was busy flying aircraft and wasn't sure if I could even make 15. I then responded, 'sir, I can't do it right now.' he then said, 'ok, understand. You're cleared to land on 15, just be careful!' I said, 'roger.' after transmission I cycled gear to down position and was at 50' AGL. Side window had now become iced over, so visibility landing was impossible. Wasn't sure if I would make the runway or not, but knew it would be close. I then began the flare and saw the glow of one runway light through the front window. Wasn't sure if it was the left or right side. Noticed I was approaching light directly head on, so I kicked hard right rudder to parallel my course to the light. Then I pulled the power to flight idle. Just then the controller exclaimed, 'trucks are clear of the runway, you are cleared to land.' I didn't respond to transmission. Aircraft then settled on runway centerline about 500' down runway. Occurrence was caused by severe icing and by alcohol windshield. An small transport Y shot the same approach behind me and made it. He had electric windshield heat. I've flown other aircraft with alcohol windshields and even in light icing conditions they are not very efficient. I think all aircraft certified for flight into icing conditions should have electric de-ice windshields. They seem to work thebest. If I could have seen out the windshield a normal approach and landing could have been accomplished to uca and occurrence would have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMT ENCOUNTERS HEAVY ICING ON APCH WHICH CAUSES PARTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL AND VISION PROBLEM. UNABLE TO MAKE DESTINATION ARPT MAKES EMERGENCY LNDG AT CLOSE PROX MIL ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING AN SMT SINGLE PLT ON 12/FRI/88 AT APPROX XA20, INVERSION WAS DISCOVERED AT 7000' MSL WHILE ON IFR RADAR VECTORS TO UCA. TEMP WAS +10 DEGS C AT 70 AND ATIS RPTED UCA TEMP OF 27 DEGS F. GRIFFIS APCH CTL CLRED ME TO 3000'. WHILE PASSING THROUGH 4300' MSL BROKE OUT OF CLOUD BASES, RPTED UCA IN SIGHT AND WAS CLRED FOR A VIS APCH TO RWY 15. ATIS RPTED ICE PELLETS AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN. EXPECTED SOME ICE ACCUMULATION, SO I THEN ACTIVATED ENG INTAKE HEAT, PROP DE-ICE (ELECTRIC) AND BOOT AUTO CYCLE FOR WINGS AND HORIZ AND VERT STABILIZERS. PASSING THROUGH 2700' MSL TEMP WENT TO -1 DEG C AND ICE BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE ON WINDSHIELD. I THEN ACTIVATED WINDSHIELD ALCOHOL IN 'AUTO ON MODE.' BY THIS TIME I WAS IN THE DOWNWIND LEG, HAD GEAR EXTENDED, AND ICE REALLY STARTED TO ACCUMULATE (SEVERE). SWITCHED TO UCA TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON 15. BEGAN BASE LEG AND ON ROLL OUT ALCOHOL WOULD NOT KEEP WINDSHIELD CLEAR OF ICE. ADVISED TWR I WAS STARTING MISSED APCH, WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY RWY HDG AND CLB TO 3000'. (I HAD BEEN IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS BEFORE AND SIMPLY CLBED TO HIGHER ALT TO LET ICE MELT OFF.) I WOULD THEN MAKE FAIRLY STEEP APCH TO ARPT (TO SPEND AS LITTLE TIME IN ICING CONDITIONS AS POSSIBLE). I THEN GAVE THE ACFT 100% TORQUE TO TKOF THRUST, PITCHED UP 10 DEGS AND ACFT DIDN'T CLB. AT THIS POINT I WAS STILL ON BASE LEG PASSING THE FINAL APCH COURSE. I WAITED ABOUT 5 SECS TO VERIFY IF ACFT WOULD NOT CLB. DECIDED I THEN HAD A PROB AND WOULD DEPLOY FLAPS AND MAKE A BLIND APCH TO UCA BY SLIPPING ACFT INTO FINAL AND USING SIDE WINDOW FOR VIS REF. ACFT WAS HIGH AT THIS POINT, SO I PUT FLAP INDICATOR TO THE 5 DEG POS AND ACFT YAWED VIOLENTLY TO THE RIGHT. FELT LIKE ASYMMETRICAL DEPLOYMENT OF FLAPS. QUICKLY RESET FLAP INDICATOR TO 0 DEGS. I WAS SINKING AT ABOUT 800 FPM NOW, AND WELL PAST FINAL APCH TO UCA. TRIED TO TURN WITH YOKE (ACFT HAS SPOILERONS) TO UCA FINAL. ACFT WOULD NOT RESPOND AND BEGAN TO SINK EVEN FASTER. LOOKED OUT LEFT WINDOW AND SAW RME AFB RWY 33. IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED BACK TO GRIFFISS APCH AND ADVISED THEM OF PROB AND THAT I WAS GOING TO LAND. RME THEN CLRED ME TO LAND ON 33. TRIED TO TURN LEFT WITH SPOILERONS--NO RESPONSE. BEGAN USING RUDDER TO MANEUVER ACFT TOWARD FINAL. COULD NOT TURN QUICKLY ENOUGH. I THEN DECIDED TO MAKE A GRADUAL TURN TO FINAL ON 15. AT THIS TIME SINK RATE WAS 1200 FPM. ASKED FOR 15 AND CTLR CLRED ME TO LAND. CTLR THEN EXCLAIMED THEY HAD TRUCKS ON RWY. HAD TO SLOW DSCNT RATE SOMEHOW, SO I CYCLED GEAR UP AND INCREASED PWR TO 110 DEGS THRUST--SINK RATE SLOWED TO 800 FPM. I THEN PROCEEDED TO USE RUDDER AND EVEN DIFFERENTIAL THRUST TO MANEUVER ACFT TO FINAL. ABOUT 1/2 MI OUT AT ABOUT 1 45 DEG ANGLE TO FINAL, CTLR ADVISED TRUCKS WERE STILL ON RWY, ASKED IF I COULD ENTER DOWNWIND TO RWY 33. I WAS BUSY FLYING ACFT AND WASN'T SURE IF I COULD EVEN MAKE 15. I THEN RESPONDED, 'SIR, I CAN'T DO IT RIGHT NOW.' HE THEN SAID, 'OK, UNDERSTAND. YOU'RE CLRED TO LAND ON 15, JUST BE CAREFUL!' I SAID, 'ROGER.' AFTER XMISSION I CYCLED GEAR TO DOWN POS AND WAS AT 50' AGL. SIDE WINDOW HAD NOW BECOME ICED OVER, SO VIS LNDG WAS IMPOSSIBLE. WASN'T SURE IF I WOULD MAKE THE RWY OR NOT, BUT KNEW IT WOULD BE CLOSE. I THEN BEGAN THE FLARE AND SAW THE GLOW OF ONE RWY LIGHT THROUGH THE FRONT WINDOW. WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS THE LEFT OR RIGHT SIDE. NOTICED I WAS APCHING LIGHT DIRECTLY HEAD ON, SO I KICKED HARD RIGHT RUDDER TO PARALLEL MY COURSE TO THE LIGHT. THEN I PULLED THE PWR TO FLT IDLE. JUST THEN THE CTLR EXCLAIMED, 'TRUCKS ARE CLR OF THE RWY, YOU ARE CLRED TO LAND.' I DIDN'T RESPOND TO XMISSION. ACFT THEN SETTLED ON RWY CENTERLINE ABOUT 500' DOWN RWY. OCCURRENCE WAS CAUSED BY SEVERE ICING AND BY ALCOHOL WINDSHIELD. AN SMT Y SHOT THE SAME APCH BEHIND ME AND MADE IT. HE HAD ELECTRIC WINDSHIELD HEAT. I'VE FLOWN OTHER ACFT WITH ALCOHOL WINDSHIELDS AND EVEN IN LIGHT ICING CONDITIONS THEY ARE NOT VERY EFFICIENT. I THINK ALL ACFT CERTIFIED FOR FLT INTO ICING CONDITIONS SHOULD HAVE ELECTRIC DE-ICE WINDSHIELDS. THEY SEEM TO WORK THEBEST. IF I COULD HAVE SEEN OUT THE WINDSHIELD A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG COULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED TO UCA AND OCCURRENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.