Narrative:

WX was checked the night before and several times in the morning. Forecast was for light to moderate ice with isolated severe ice in freezing rain. At xaam there was freezing rain at ict. This ended around XA15 am. Several aircraft took off and landed during the freezing rain and reported just light to moderate ice. After the freezing rain ended, pilot reports changed to light or trace of ice or negative icing. The last pilot reports indicated negative icing. About 2 hours after the freezing rain ended, I was ready to depart. Several other aircraft usually depart right after me. I delayed departure so the others could depart before me. Since they had no problems (one goes almost the same direction). I also decided to takeoff. Tops were where pilot reports indicated them to be and I easily climbed on top of the overcast. Boots were not used at all. Entire flight was made on top except for the approach. Some ice was encountered on the approach but I quickly got out of the ice. Boots and windshield de-icing were not needed. Airplane safely landed at gbd without any problems. 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.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INTO FORECAST ICING.

Narrative: WX WAS CHKED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND SEVERAL TIMES IN THE MORNING. FORECAST WAS FOR LIGHT TO MODERATE ICE WITH ISOLATED SEVERE ICE IN FREEZING RAIN. AT XAAM THERE WAS FREEZING RAIN AT ICT. THIS ENDED AROUND XA15 AM. SEVERAL ACFT TOOK OFF AND LANDED DURING THE FREEZING RAIN AND RPTED JUST LIGHT TO MODERATE ICE. AFTER THE FREEZING RAIN ENDED, PLT RPTS CHANGED TO LIGHT OR TRACE OF ICE OR NEGATIVE ICING. THE LAST PLT RPTS INDICATED NEGATIVE ICING. ABOUT 2 HRS AFTER THE FREEZING RAIN ENDED, I WAS READY TO DEPART. SEVERAL OTHER ACFT USUALLY DEPART RIGHT AFTER ME. I DELAYED DEP SO THE OTHERS COULD DEPART BEFORE ME. SINCE THEY HAD NO PROBS (ONE GOES ALMOST THE SAME DIRECTION). I ALSO DECIDED TO TKOF. TOPS WERE WHERE PLT RPTS INDICATED THEM TO BE AND I EASILY CLBED ON TOP OF THE OVCST. BOOTS WERE NOT USED AT ALL. ENTIRE FLT WAS MADE ON TOP EXCEPT FOR THE APCH. SOME ICE WAS ENCOUNTERED ON THE APCH BUT I QUICKLY GOT OUT OF THE ICE. BOOTS AND WINDSHIELD DE-ICING WERE NOT NEEDED. AIRPLANE SAFELY LANDED AT GBD WITHOUT ANY PROBS. 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.