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Aircraft equipment operating procedure. Pilot turns on the pitot heat just before entering the clouds and the pitot static system ices up. Fortunately the heater finally melts the ice and normal instrument presentation returns.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 302198 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199504 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : 6b0 |
| State Reference | VT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : btv |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 500 flight time type : 125 |
| ASRS Report | 302198 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Departed psm and climbed through the cloud layer at 4000 ft to above the clouds at 8000 ft with no icing encountered. On descending through the clouds between 6000 and 4000 ft, I encountered moderate rime icing. I put on pitot heat just before entering the clouds, but had a transient malfunction of my static air system, which cleared itself. I notified ATC of my problem and the icing and requested that they keep an eye on my altitude as shown by the transponder. I broke out of the clouds at 4000 ft and landed without incident. I was lulled into a false sense of security by not encountering ice on the way up through the clouds, and should have had my pitot heat on at all times.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACFT EQUIP OPERATING PROC. PLT TURNS ON THE PITOT HEAT JUST BEFORE ENTERING THE CLOUDS AND THE PITOT STATIC SYS ICES UP. FORTUNATELY THE HEATER FINALLY MELTS THE ICE AND NORMAL INST PRESENTATION RETURNS.
Narrative: DEPARTED PSM AND CLBED THROUGH THE CLOUD LAYER AT 4000 FT TO ABOVE THE CLOUDS AT 8000 FT WITH NO ICING ENCOUNTERED. ON DSNDING THROUGH THE CLOUDS BTWN 6000 AND 4000 FT, I ENCOUNTERED MODERATE RIME ICING. I PUT ON PITOT HEAT JUST BEFORE ENTERING THE CLOUDS, BUT HAD A TRANSIENT MALFUNCTION OF MY STATIC AIR SYS, WHICH CLRED ITSELF. I NOTIFIED ATC OF MY PROB AND THE ICING AND REQUESTED THAT THEY KEEP AN EYE ON MY ALT AS SHOWN BY THE XPONDER. I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 4000 FT AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WAS LULLED INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY BY NOT ENCOUNTERING ICE ON THE WAY UP THROUGH THE CLOUDS, AND SHOULD HAVE HAD MY PITOT HEAT ON AT ALL TIMES.
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.