Flight into forecast icing.

Attributes
ACN	296674
Time
Date	199502
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gbd
State Reference	KS
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Cessna 402/402C/B379 Businessliner/Utiliner
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	296674
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

WX was checked several times during the day. Forecast was for light to moderate ice. WX and pilot reports indicated flight could be made safely. I took off without incident and was on top in about 2 mins. Entire flight except for approach was made on top. Approach and landing were made without incident or problems. Deice boots and windshield were not used. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the cessna 402B for a small midwest air freight carrier. Another small air freight air carrier has recently lost several contracts carrying freight for a very large air carrier because the small air carrier could not fly in icing conditions under far 135.227 or comply with far 135 appendix a, paragraph 34. These are the governing regulations under which 135 acrs are allowed to fly in forecast icing conditions. The reporter's aircraft does meet all of these conditions. The reporter flies mostly in the omaha flight standards district office area. He has received a letter of investigation from the wichita flight standards district office about this matter. The wichita flight standards district office has a much stricter interpretation of the FARS than the omaha office. The reporter believes that he has done no wrong, but will continue to send ASRS reports until this situation is cleared up. The reporter has used his deicing equipment only 3 times all winter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INTO FORECAST ICING.

Narrative: WX WAS CHKED SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE DAY. FORECAST WAS FOR LIGHT TO MODERATE ICE. WX AND PLT RPTS INDICATED FLT COULD BE MADE SAFELY. I TOOK OFF WITHOUT INCIDENT AND WAS ON TOP IN ABOUT 2 MINS. ENTIRE FLT EXCEPT FOR APCH WAS MADE ON TOP. APCH AND LNDG WERE MADE WITHOUT INCIDENT OR PROBS. DEICE BOOTS AND WINDSHIELD WERE NOT USED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE CESSNA 402B FOR A SMALL MIDWEST AIR FREIGHT CARRIER. ANOTHER SMALL AIR FREIGHT ACR HAS RECENTLY LOST SEVERAL CONTRACTS CARRYING FREIGHT FOR A VERY LARGE ACR BECAUSE THE SMALL ACR COULD NOT FLY IN ICING CONDITIONS UNDER FAR 135.227 OR COMPLY WITH FAR 135 APPENDIX A, PARAGRAPH 34. THESE ARE THE GOVERNING REGS UNDER WHICH 135 ACRS ARE ALLOWED TO FLY IN FORECAST ICING CONDITIONS. THE RPTR'S ACFT DOES MEET ALL OF THESE CONDITIONS. THE RPTR FLIES MOSTLY IN THE OMAHA FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE AREA. HE HAS RECEIVED A LETTER OF INVESTIGATION FROM THE WICHITA FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE ABOUT THIS MATTER. THE WICHITA FLT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE HAS A MUCH STRICTER INTERP OF THE FARS THAN THE OMAHA OFFICE. THE RPTR BELIEVES THAT HE HAS DONE NO WRONG, BUT WILL CONTINUE TO SEND ASRS RPTS UNTIL THIS SIT IS CLRED UP. THE RPTR HAS USED HIS DEICING EQUIP ONLY 3 TIMES ALL WINTER.

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.