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Small aircraft having radio, crossfeed and airframe ice problems descends below assigned altitude without a clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 168455 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199101 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : stl airport : sus |
| State Reference | MO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 2300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : stl |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 168455 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I departed fcm. All radios worked good on the ground and IFR certification had been done 45 days earlier. Switched from tower to departure (msp). Could not raise departure. Finally raised msp who switched me to ZAU. At this point I advised ZAU of not only communication problems, but attempts to transmit also disrupted navigation aids. ZAU at this point said to just expect vectors and they would pass information along to ZKC. I believe the moisture and cold WX were part of the old radio's problems and as they warmed, moisture was more of a problem. When switched to ZKC, I was unable again to get contact. Communicated with transponder until I was close enough to talk with them. I had a fuel imbalance and was unable to get the xfeed to work. As it became dark, the interior navigation lights did not function. I saw a break in the cloud layer and advised ZKC that due to radio trouble, fuel imbalance and lighting that I would like to land in stl. I was handed over to stl approach, who gave descent to 3500' and vectors for sus. At 3500' I was taking on ice rapidly. I advised stl approach. After 1 min they descended me to 2300'. I was still in the clouds and ice was still a factor. I called again and told approach I needed lower. They said they would have to get back. I have no experience in ice, but controls were getting heavy, plus the fuel imbalance. I left 2300' and advised I had to get out of the ice. At that point, they called back and said to check altitude. I told them again I had to have lower and they said to level off at 1500'. I did and was out of the ice. Landed safely at sus. I believe age and moisture caused a lot of the radio problems. No idea on the xfeed, and as far as ice, I'd stay out of it, but I thought I could descend through the thing layer I spotted, and probably could have, but vectors pout me in the thick of the layer and the ice just added to the other malfunctions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA HAVING RADIO, CROSSFEED AND AIRFRAME ICE PROBLEMS DESCENDS BELOW ASSIGNED ALT WITHOUT A CLRNC.
Narrative: I DEPARTED FCM. ALL RADIOS WORKED GOOD ON THE GND AND IFR CERTIFICATION HAD BEEN DONE 45 DAYS EARLIER. SWITCHED FROM TWR TO DEP (MSP). COULD NOT RAISE DEP. FINALLY RAISED MSP WHO SWITCHED ME TO ZAU. AT THIS POINT I ADVISED ZAU OF NOT ONLY COM PROBS, BUT ATTEMPTS TO XMIT ALSO DISRUPTED NAV AIDS. ZAU AT THIS POINT SAID TO JUST EXPECT VECTORS AND THEY WOULD PASS INFO ALONG TO ZKC. I BELIEVE THE MOISTURE AND COLD WX WERE PART OF THE OLD RADIO'S PROBS AND AS THEY WARMED, MOISTURE WAS MORE OF A PROB. WHEN SWITCHED TO ZKC, I WAS UNABLE AGAIN TO GET CONTACT. COMMUNICATED WITH XPONDER UNTIL I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO TALK WITH THEM. I HAD A FUEL IMBALANCE AND WAS UNABLE TO GET THE XFEED TO WORK. AS IT BECAME DARK, THE INTERIOR NAV LIGHTS DID NOT FUNCTION. I SAW A BREAK IN THE CLOUD LAYER AND ADVISED ZKC THAT DUE TO RADIO TROUBLE, FUEL IMBALANCE AND LIGHTING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LAND IN STL. I WAS HANDED OVER TO STL APCH, WHO GAVE DSNT TO 3500' AND VECTORS FOR SUS. AT 3500' I WAS TAKING ON ICE RAPIDLY. I ADVISED STL APCH. AFTER 1 MIN THEY DSNDED ME TO 2300'. I WAS STILL IN THE CLOUDS AND ICE WAS STILL A FACTOR. I CALLED AGAIN AND TOLD APCH I NEEDED LOWER. THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK. I HAVE NO EXPERIENCE IN ICE, BUT CTLS WERE GETTING HEAVY, PLUS THE FUEL IMBALANCE. I LEFT 2300' AND ADVISED I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE ICE. AT THAT POINT, THEY CALLED BACK AND SAID TO CHK ALT. I TOLD THEM AGAIN I HAD TO HAVE LOWER AND THEY SAID TO LEVEL OFF AT 1500'. I DID AND WAS OUT OF THE ICE. LANDED SAFELY AT SUS. I BELIEVE AGE AND MOISTURE CAUSED A LOT OF THE RADIO PROBS. NO IDEA ON THE XFEED, AND AS FAR AS ICE, I'D STAY OUT OF IT, BUT I THOUGHT I COULD DSND THROUGH THE THING LAYER I SPOTTED, AND PROBABLY COULD HAVE, BUT VECTORS POUT ME IN THE THICK OF THE LAYER AND THE ICE JUST ADDED TO THE OTHER MALFUNCTIONS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.