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Pilot of small aircraft suspected icing when engine coughed, requested emergency handling into lbe. Descending, engine recovered and pilot continued to destination - ATC.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 125218 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198910 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : agc |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob tower : lbe |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 423 flight time type : 12 |
| ASRS Report | 125218 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was flying from (gai) gaithersburg, md to (agc) allegheny county airport, PA. I was cruising at 6000' IFR over ihd VORTAC in heavy rain. The freezing level was reported to be 7000'. The rain looked so heavy under the propeller it could have been mixed with sleet. After the engine coughed a second time, I asked ZOB to expedite my arrival at allegheny county. I suspected carburetor icing and pulled the carburetor heat. When the engine coughed the third time, I declared an emergency and center vectored me to (lbe). They asked me to descend to 3000 and contact the tower. I got off of the center frequency. I was flying at 3000' over lbe looking for the tower frequency but I could not immediately get a hold of it. I confused it with connellsville. I did not want to descend into the traffic area without contacting them, so I started a climb up to 4000'. At about 3600', I got back on the center frequency and told them that my engine appeared to be acting fine again and that I wanted to continue on to agc. They asked me to maintain 4000' and they vectored me to the localizer on ILS 28 at allegheny. The engine behaved all of the way into agc. When I landed, allegheny ground asked me to call ZOB, which I did. They asked me why I started to ascend from 3000' and why I did not contact lbe tower. I explained I could not immediately find the frequency and I wanted to stay clear of traffic. I immediately had a mechanic take a look. We ran up the engine together and checked the magnetos, carburetor heat, and he had me check the power at full throttle. He suspected carburetor icing as well. I called ZOB about an hour later and told them that the mechanic had suspected carburetor icing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF SMA SUSPECTED ICING WHEN ENGINE COUGHED, REQUESTED EMERGENCY HANDLING INTO LBE. DESCENDING, ENGINE RECOVERED AND PLT CONTINUED TO DESTINATION - ATC.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM (GAI) GAITHERSBURG, MD TO (AGC) ALLEGHENY COUNTY ARPT, PA. I WAS CRUISING AT 6000' IFR OVER IHD VORTAC IN HEAVY RAIN. THE FREEZING LEVEL WAS REPORTED TO BE 7000'. THE RAIN LOOKED SO HEAVY UNDER THE PROPELLER IT COULD HAVE BEEN MIXED WITH SLEET. AFTER THE ENGINE COUGHED A SECOND TIME, I ASKED ZOB TO EXPEDITE MY ARR AT ALLEGHENY COUNTY. I SUSPECTED CARBURETOR ICING AND PULLED THE CARBURETOR HEAT. WHEN THE ENGINE COUGHED THE THIRD TIME, I DECLARED AN EMER AND CENTER VECTORED ME TO (LBE). THEY ASKED ME TO DSND TO 3000 AND CONTACT THE TWR. I GOT OFF OF THE CENTER FREQ. I WAS FLYING AT 3000' OVER LBE LOOKING FOR THE TWR FREQ BUT I COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY GET A HOLD OF IT. I CONFUSED IT WITH CONNELLSVILLE. I DID NOT WANT TO DSND INTO THE TFC AREA WITHOUT CONTACTING THEM, SO I STARTED A CLIMB UP TO 4000'. AT ABOUT 3600', I GOT BACK ON THE CENTER FREQ AND TOLD THEM THAT MY ENGINE APPEARED TO BE ACTING FINE AGAIN AND THAT I WANTED TO CONTINUE ON TO AGC. THEY ASKED ME TO MAINTAIN 4000' AND THEY VECTORED ME TO THE LOC ON ILS 28 AT ALLEGHENY. THE ENGINE BEHAVED ALL OF THE WAY INTO AGC. WHEN I LANDED, ALLEGHENY GND ASKED ME TO CALL ZOB, WHICH I DID. THEY ASKED ME WHY I STARTED TO ASCEND FROM 3000' AND WHY I DID NOT CONTACT LBE TWR. I EXPLAINED I COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY FIND THE FREQ AND I WANTED TO STAY CLEAR OF TFC. I IMMEDIATELY HAD A MECHANIC TAKE A LOOK. WE RAN UP THE ENGINE TOGETHER AND CHECKED THE MAGNETOS, CARBURETOR HEAT, AND HE HAD ME CHECK THE POWER AT FULL THROTTLE. HE SUSPECTED CARBURETOR ICING AS WELL. I CALLED ZOB ABOUT AN HOUR LATER AND TOLD THEM THAT THE MECHANIC HAD SUSPECTED CARBURETOR ICING.
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.