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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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In-flight encounter with icing forces a PA34-200 pilot to declare an emergency and ask for flight assist. Diversion to alternate.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 354264 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199611 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : esl |
| State Reference | WV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 8000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : ckb tower : alb |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-34-200T Turbo Seneca II |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 16 flight time total : 809 flight time type : 44 |
| ASRS Report | 354264 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
Cruising in clouds at 6000 ft, started to see slight traces of rime ice, told controller if ice started to accumulate, I would need to do a 180 degree or climb, he acknowledged and said if I need to do a 180 degree, I needed to coordinate with him first. Ice started to slowly accumulate requiring some action, PIREP from a baron 10 mi away reported tops at 9000 ft, so I elected to climb on top, requested climb to 10000 ft, which was approved. During climb, between 7000 ft and 8000 ft, ice began to accumulate rapidly, and by 8000 ft I could no longer gain altitude. I declared an emergency, and descended. Controller said I could go as low as 2200 ft, but if I could hold 3000 ft I should for better radar coverage. I descended to 2200 ft to get below the cloud deck, which was at about 2300-2400 ft, to ensure that I did not accumulate any more ice. When I broke out of the clouds, the controls on the plane were 'mushy,' indicating to me that the plane was near stall even at full power. Ice accumulation was about 2-3 inches. With assistance from the controller, and a hand-held GPS, I was able to find the nearest asphalt strip, philippy-barbour (79D), and land safely. To avoid stalling, I landed with full power and no flaps. I was able to contact the controller on the ground and report that I landed safely.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH ICING FORCES A PA34-200 PLT TO DECLARE AN EMER AND ASK FOR FLT ASSIST. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.
Narrative: CRUISING IN CLOUDS AT 6000 FT, STARTED TO SEE SLIGHT TRACES OF RIME ICE, TOLD CTLR IF ICE STARTED TO ACCUMULATE, I WOULD NEED TO DO A 180 DEG OR CLB, HE ACKNOWLEDGED AND SAID IF I NEED TO DO A 180 DEG, I NEEDED TO COORDINATE WITH HIM FIRST. ICE STARTED TO SLOWLY ACCUMULATE REQUIRING SOME ACTION, PIREP FROM A BARON 10 MI AWAY RPTED TOPS AT 9000 FT, SO I ELECTED TO CLB ON TOP, REQUESTED CLB TO 10000 FT, WHICH WAS APPROVED. DURING CLB, BTWN 7000 FT AND 8000 FT, ICE BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE RAPIDLY, AND BY 8000 FT I COULD NO LONGER GAIN ALT. I DECLARED AN EMER, AND DSNDED. CTLR SAID I COULD GO AS LOW AS 2200 FT, BUT IF I COULD HOLD 3000 FT I SHOULD FOR BETTER RADAR COVERAGE. I DSNDED TO 2200 FT TO GET BELOW THE CLOUD DECK, WHICH WAS AT ABOUT 2300-2400 FT, TO ENSURE THAT I DID NOT ACCUMULATE ANY MORE ICE. WHEN I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS, THE CTLS ON THE PLANE WERE 'MUSHY,' INDICATING TO ME THAT THE PLANE WAS NEAR STALL EVEN AT FULL PWR. ICE ACCUMULATION WAS ABOUT 2-3 INCHES. WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE CTLR, AND A HAND-HELD GPS, I WAS ABLE TO FIND THE NEAREST ASPHALT STRIP, PHILIPPY-BARBOUR (79D), AND LAND SAFELY. TO AVOID STALLING, I LANDED WITH FULL PWR AND NO FLAPS. I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE CTLR ON THE GND AND RPT THAT I LANDED SAFELY.
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.