Narrative:

This was the second leg of a 5 leg flight profile. On the first leg the flight was uneventful and the WX was clear. The aircraft was parked at wilkes-barre-scranton for 1 hour. The temperatures were in the mid-20's under clear to partly cloudy skies. Taxi for takeoff was in accordance with existing operating procedures and checklists, and was uneventful. During takeoff I was the PNF. I was making standard calls during the roll I called VMC at 52 KTS, V1 102 KTS and then V2 at 105 KTS. This was followed by a rotation of the aircraft. Once stabilized in the climb the captain said, 'you have airspeed?' I responded, 'roger,' at which time he passed control of aircraft to me. We were light, so already at less than maximum landing weight, so we made a VFR downwind and returned to an uneventful landing at wilkes-barre scranton. While in flight the captain's airspeed indicator finally went to 0 and then started indicating erratically. In spite of the WX we suspected ice in the system. Following discussion with flight control, we placed heat on the aircraft's pitot static system using external power for 30 mins. Conducted a high speed taxi to test the system which proved operational. We refiled and and continued to our destination uneventfully. Granted, the problem may have solved itself in flight; however we feel that ice was the suspected problem and that the conservative approach was the best way to deal with the situation. A lesson learned was that pitot ice may be encountered on a clear day, even on the second leg on a clear day! I have changed my procedures to include turning on the pitot heat as soon as power is applied to the aircraft when surface temperatures are freezing, regardless of the pressure of visible moisture. I have recommended a change to our pre-taxi checklists which would start the warm up if pitot heat as external power is applied during winter operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT DEVELOPED PITOT ICE DURING TKOF.

Narrative: THIS WAS THE SECOND LEG OF A 5 LEG FLT PROFILE. ON THE FIRST LEG THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE WX WAS CLEAR. THE ACFT WAS PARKED AT WILKES-BARRE-SCRANTON FOR 1 HR. THE TEMPS WERE IN THE MID-20'S UNDER CLEAR TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. TAXI FOR TKOF WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH EXISTING OPERATING PROCS AND CHKLISTS, AND WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING TKOF I WAS THE PNF. I WAS MAKING STANDARD CALLS DURING THE ROLL I CALLED VMC AT 52 KTS, V1 102 KTS AND THEN V2 AT 105 KTS. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY A ROTATION OF THE ACFT. ONCE STABILIZED IN THE CLB THE CAPT SAID, 'YOU HAVE AIRSPD?' I RESPONDED, 'ROGER,' AT WHICH TIME HE PASSED CONTROL OF ACFT TO ME. WE WERE LIGHT, SO ALREADY AT LESS THAN MAX LNDG WT, SO WE MADE A VFR DOWNWIND AND RETURNED TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT WILKES-BARRE SCRANTON. WHILE IN FLT THE CAPT'S AIRSPD INDICATOR FINALLY WENT TO 0 AND THEN STARTED INDICATING ERRATICALLY. IN SPITE OF THE WX WE SUSPECTED ICE IN THE SYS. FOLLOWING DISCUSSION WITH FLT CTL, WE PLACED HEAT ON THE ACFT'S PITOT STATIC SYS USING EXTERNAL PWR FOR 30 MINS. CONDUCTED A HIGH SPD TAXI TO TEST THE SYS WHICH PROVED OPERATIONAL. WE REFILED AND AND CONTINUED TO OUR DEST UNEVENTFULLY. GRANTED, THE PROB MAY HAVE SOLVED ITSELF IN FLT; HOWEVER WE FEEL THAT ICE WAS THE SUSPECTED PROB AND THAT THE CONSERVATIVE APCH WAS THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION. A LESSON LEARNED WAS THAT PITOT ICE MAY BE ENCOUNTERED ON A CLEAR DAY, EVEN ON THE SECOND LEG ON A CLEAR DAY! I HAVE CHANGED MY PROCS TO INCLUDE TURNING ON THE PITOT HEAT AS SOON AS PWR IS APPLIED TO THE ACFT WHEN SURFACE TEMPS ARE FREEZING, REGARDLESS OF THE PRESSURE OF VISIBLE MOISTURE. I HAVE RECOMMENDED A CHANGE TO OUR PRE-TAXI CHKLISTS WHICH WOULD START THE WARM UP IF PITOT HEAT AS EXTERNAL PWR IS APPLIED DURING WINTER OPS.

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.