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Small aircraft breaks through ice on lake.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 269340 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199404 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : paq |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : bjc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 269340 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On a sightseeing trip from lnd to lake george, it was decided to land on the ice at lake george. The landing area was inspected by flying low and slowly over the area. The tires were then rolled on the ice on 2 passes to test the ice. An uneventful full stop landing was made. After 20 minutes of photography. A takeoff was performed. Several touch and go lndgs were then performed. On the 4TH landing, a full stop was made. About 1 second after the plane stopped, it broke through the ice. The passenger exited immediately. The pilot extracted the survival gear from the partially submerged plane. The pilot and passenger then walked 3 mi across the ice to shore to await rescue. In the 3 days after my plane went through the ice, 2 other planes went through the ice in the same lake. I called ena FSS to request that a NOTAM be issued to inform pilots of these unusual ice conditions. I was informed that NOTAMS can't be issued for off-airport landing areas. Since over half of the lndgs in alaska are off-airport, some method of notifying pilots of unusual off-airport conditions should be started. This might save many lives and aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states this is a very unusual ice condition for this time of yr. He was frustrated that he could not inform others to avoid similar problem. Reporter states he was rescued by the air force and FAA was notified. This is considered an incident because pilot and passenger were not injured and the aircraft belly was resting on the ice when they exited. Reporter credited the FSS with offering to inform pilots who called in for a briefing about the conditions at lake george. The problem is that most pilots in alaska use the duat system for their WX information and FSS stated there is no way they can include such information on the duat. This is a very popular place to fly for picnicking this time of yr and reporter concerned due to the number of aircraft which also broke through the ice. Reporter realized FAA cannot monitor everything, but would like to see something set up to disperse information of this nature.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA BREAKS THROUGH ICE ON LAKE.
Narrative: ON A SIGHTSEEING TRIP FROM LND TO LAKE GEORGE, IT WAS DECIDED TO LAND ON THE ICE AT LAKE GEORGE. THE LNDG AREA WAS INSPECTED BY FLYING LOW AND SLOWLY OVER THE AREA. THE TIRES WERE THEN ROLLED ON THE ICE ON 2 PASSES TO TEST THE ICE. AN UNEVENTFUL FULL STOP LNDG WAS MADE. AFTER 20 MINUTES OF PHOTOGRAPHY. A TKOF WAS PERFORMED. SEVERAL TOUCH AND GO LNDGS WERE THEN PERFORMED. ON THE 4TH LNDG, A FULL STOP WAS MADE. ABOUT 1 SECOND AFTER THE PLANE STOPPED, IT BROKE THROUGH THE ICE. THE PAX EXITED IMMEDIATELY. THE PLT EXTRACTED THE SURVIVAL GEAR FROM THE PARTIALLY SUBMERGED PLANE. THE PLT AND PAX THEN WALKED 3 MI ACROSS THE ICE TO SHORE TO AWAIT RESCUE. IN THE 3 DAYS AFTER MY PLANE WENT THROUGH THE ICE, 2 OTHER PLANES WENT THROUGH THE ICE IN THE SAME LAKE. I CALLED ENA FSS TO REQUEST THAT A NOTAM BE ISSUED TO INFORM PLTS OF THESE UNUSUAL ICE CONDITIONS. I WAS INFORMED THAT NOTAMS CAN'T BE ISSUED FOR OFF-ARPT LNDG AREAS. SINCE OVER HALF OF THE LNDGS IN ALASKA ARE OFF-ARPT, SOME METHOD OF NOTIFYING PLTS OF UNUSUAL OFF-ARPT CONDITIONS SHOULD BE STARTED. THIS MIGHT SAVE MANY LIVES AND ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THIS IS A VERY UNUSUAL ICE CONDITION FOR THIS TIME OF YR. HE WAS FRUSTRATED THAT HE COULD NOT INFORM OTHERS TO AVOID SIMILAR PROB. RPTR STATES HE WAS RESCUED BY THE AIR FORCE AND FAA WAS NOTIFIED. THIS IS CONSIDERED AN INCIDENT BECAUSE PLT AND PAX WERE NOT INJURED AND THE ACFT BELLY WAS RESTING ON THE ICE WHEN THEY EXITED. RPTR CREDITED THE FSS WITH OFFERING TO INFORM PLTS WHO CALLED IN FOR A BRIEFING ABOUT THE CONDITIONS AT LAKE GEORGE. THE PROB IS THAT MOST PLTS IN ALASKA USE THE DUAT SYS FOR THEIR WX INFO AND FSS STATED THERE IS NO WAY THEY CAN INCLUDE SUCH INFO ON THE DUAT. THIS IS A VERY POPULAR PLACE TO FLY FOR PICNICKING THIS TIME OF YR AND RPTR CONCERNED DUE TO THE NUMBER OF ACFT WHICH ALSO BROKE THROUGH THE ICE. RPTR REALIZED FAA CANNOT MONITOR EVERYTHING, BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING SET UP TO DISPERSE INFO OF THIS NATURE.
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.