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Pilot on a VFR night flight in an small aircraft single engine land private aircraft declared an emergency to ATC after losing control of aircraft by its inability to climb and 'buffeting' due to picking up 'rime ice' on the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 256608 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199311 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : buf |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 9000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : buf |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 950 |
| ASRS Report | 256608 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : departure |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
WX report indicated 4500 broken at buf. WX en route -- ceiling unlimited en route, no icing reported. At approximately 50 NM east of buf at 7500 ft AGL I could see the stars and was preparing to go to 9500 ft AGL when I noticed slight rime icing on my outside temperature gauge. At approximately 9000 ft AGL, the plane started buffeting and unable to climb (my pitot heat was turned on at takeoff) and airspeed fluctuating. The rime icing was increasing. Controls became difficult. I notified ATC of my situation and requested 6000 ft. I declared an emergency, and descended to 6000 ft. The buildup stopped but rime was still present (temperature indicated minus 3 degrees C). I could see the ground lights and the stars at this point and requested and given 4000 ft AGL. The rime ice disappeared. I was then transferred to rochester ATC and asked if I wanted to continue flight to hpn. I affirmed this and continued. I climbed back to 7500 ft AGL. After checking syr and bgm ATIS (reported clear unlimited and 25 mi). After landing hpn, I again checked the WX and they still reported (4500 broken at buf) clear en route. Evidently, this was an unrpted bank of WX. I kept the wings level at all times and was able to keep control through this scary situation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT ON A VFR NIGHT FLT IN AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND PVT ACFT DECLARED AN EMER TO ATC AFTER LOSING CTL OF ACFT BY ITS INABILITY TO CLB AND 'BUFFETING' DUE TO PICKING UP 'RIME ICE' ON THE ACFT.
Narrative: WX RPT INDICATED 4500 BROKEN AT BUF. WX ENRTE -- CEILING UNLIMITED ENRTE, NO ICING RPTED. AT APPROX 50 NM E OF BUF AT 7500 FT AGL I COULD SEE THE STARS AND WAS PREPARING TO GO TO 9500 FT AGL WHEN I NOTICED SLIGHT RIME ICING ON MY OUTSIDE TEMP GAUGE. AT APPROX 9000 FT AGL, THE PLANE STARTED BUFFETING AND UNABLE TO CLB (MY PITOT HEAT WAS TURNED ON AT TKOF) AND AIRSPD FLUCTUATING. THE RIME ICING WAS INCREASING. CTLS BECAME DIFFICULT. I NOTIFIED ATC OF MY SIT AND REQUESTED 6000 FT. I DECLARED AN EMER, AND DSNDED TO 6000 FT. THE BUILDUP STOPPED BUT RIME WAS STILL PRESENT (TEMP INDICATED MINUS 3 DEGS C). I COULD SEE THE GND LIGHTS AND THE STARS AT THIS POINT AND REQUESTED AND GIVEN 4000 FT AGL. THE RIME ICE DISAPPEARED. I WAS THEN TRANSFERRED TO ROCHESTER ATC AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO CONTINUE FLT TO HPN. I AFFIRMED THIS AND CONTINUED. I CLBED BACK TO 7500 FT AGL. AFTER CHKING SYR AND BGM ATIS (RPTED CLR UNLIMITED AND 25 MI). AFTER LNDG HPN, I AGAIN CHKED THE WX AND THEY STILL RPTED (4500 BROKEN AT BUF) CLR ENRTE. EVIDENTLY, THIS WAS AN UNRPTED BANK OF WX. I KEPT THE WINGS LEVEL AT ALL TIMES AND WAS ABLE TO KEEP CTL THROUGH THIS SCARY SIT.
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.