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Unanticipated and severe airframe ice accumulation caused by IFR flight in icing conditions without deice equipment. Reporter returned to departure station with ATC priority handling.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 107442 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198903 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : jac |
| State Reference | WY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 7700 msl bound upper : 16000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zlc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 11140 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 107442 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
In my briefing at about xa local (xaz) with ida FSS I requested that they ask for a tops and icing report on next arrival or departure from ida. Called again at xb (xbz) and was told tops in ida area were 10000 MSL, no icing report. Filed IFR from U56 to ykn requested 15000'. Took off VFR, climbed VFR to 7700 MSL. Picked up clearance from slc ARTCC. Cleared to 16000' on course. Never got on top, at 16000' level informed center that ice accumulation was unacceptable and requested return to ida. Request granted, vectors out of high terrain to ILS (st in) at ida. Reached VFR conditions at 8000' MSL on ILS approach, cancelled, and returned to U56. Center declared (not I) an emergency and gave priority handling (it probably was needed and was much appreciated). Ice accumulations reached serious levels and loss of control was a concern. This makes 'punching through a layer' seem more like a round of russian roulette when not equipped for ice.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: UNANTICIPATED AND SEVERE AIRFRAME ICE ACCUMULATION CAUSED BY IFR FLT IN ICING CONDITIONS WITHOUT DEICE EQUIPMENT. REPORTER RETURNED TO DEPARTURE STATION WITH ATC PRIORITY HANDLING.
Narrative: IN MY BRIEFING AT ABOUT XA LCL (XAZ) WITH IDA FSS I REQUESTED THAT THEY ASK FOR A TOPS AND ICING RPT ON NEXT ARR OR DEP FROM IDA. CALLED AGAIN AT XB (XBZ) AND WAS TOLD TOPS IN IDA AREA WERE 10000 MSL, NO ICING RPT. FILED IFR FROM U56 TO YKN REQUESTED 15000'. TOOK OFF VFR, CLBED VFR TO 7700 MSL. PICKED UP CLRNC FROM SLC ARTCC. CLRED TO 16000' ON COURSE. NEVER GOT ON TOP, AT 16000' LEVEL INFORMED CENTER THAT ICE ACCUMULATION WAS UNACCEPTABLE AND REQUESTED RETURN TO IDA. REQUEST GRANTED, VECTORS OUT OF HIGH TERRAIN TO ILS (ST IN) AT IDA. REACHED VFR CONDITIONS AT 8000' MSL ON ILS APCH, CANCELLED, AND RETURNED TO U56. CENTER DECLARED (NOT I) AN EMER AND GAVE PRIORITY HANDLING (IT PROBABLY WAS NEEDED AND WAS MUCH APPRECIATED). ICE ACCUMULATIONS REACHED SERIOUS LEVELS AND LOSS OF CONTROL WAS A CONCERN. THIS MAKES 'PUNCHING THROUGH A LAYER' SEEM MORE LIKE A ROUND OF RUSSIAN ROULETTE WHEN NOT EQUIPPED FOR ICE.
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.