C172 pilot encounters icing at 4000 ft. Experiences partial loss of aircraft control as airspeed deviation occurs due to icing, creating an aircraft equipment problem, ie, ice on wings and propellers. CFIT as aircraft descends below MVA to escape the icing. Flight assist radar vectoring. Return land at departure airport.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	356061
Time
Date	199612
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rmg airport : ryy
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 646 agl bound upper : 2946
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	356061
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Preflight briefing with FSS indicated freezing level at approximately 8000 ft. No mention made of possibility of ice at filed altitude of 4000 ft. Entered holding over rmg VOR at 4000 ft. Immediately noticed rapid buildup of ice. Notified ATC and asked for vectors to return to home base (ryy), approximately 30 mi southeast. Asked for lower altitude. ATC unable to approve lower due to MVA of 4000 ft. Due to heavy build of ice and deteriorating airspeed, was forced to descend without ATC clearance to, at one time, as low as 2800 ft. Ice came off windscreen, but continued to cling to wings and struts. Finally was able to climb to 3000 ft and maintain that altitude for vectors to ILS to ryy. As far as I can tell, there was no conflict or danger to other aircraft. Landed at ryy without further difficulty.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENCOUNTERS ICING AT 4000 FT. EXPERIENCES PARTIAL LOSS OF ACFT CTL AS AIRSPD DEV OCCURS DUE TO ICING, CREATING AN ACFT EQUIP PROB, IE, ICE ON WINGS AND PROPS. CFIT AS ACFT DSNDS BELOW MVA TO ESCAPE THE ICING. FLT ASSIST RADAR VECTORING. RETURN LAND AT DEP ARPT.

Narrative: PREFLT BRIEFING WITH FSS INDICATED FREEZING LEVEL AT APPROX 8000 FT. NO MENTION MADE OF POSSIBILITY OF ICE AT FILED ALT OF 4000 FT. ENTERED HOLDING OVER RMG VOR AT 4000 FT. IMMEDIATELY NOTICED RAPID BUILDUP OF ICE. NOTIFIED ATC AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO RETURN TO HOME BASE (RYY), APPROX 30 MI SE. ASKED FOR LOWER ALT. ATC UNABLE TO APPROVE LOWER DUE TO MVA OF 4000 FT. DUE TO HVY BUILD OF ICE AND DETERIORATING AIRSPD, WAS FORCED TO DSND WITHOUT ATC CLRNC TO, AT ONE TIME, AS LOW AS 2800 FT. ICE CAME OFF WINDSCREEN, BUT CONTINUED TO CLING TO WINGS AND STRUTS. FINALLY WAS ABLE TO CLB TO 3000 FT AND MAINTAIN THAT ALT FOR VECTORS TO ILS TO RYY. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THERE WAS NO CONFLICT OR DANGER TO OTHER ACFT. LANDED AT RYY WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY.

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.