Narrative:

Commuter flight conducted in a BA3200 from white plains (hpn), ny, to washington dulles airport. Departed hpn at XA35 and after reaching 14000 ft we entered an area of moderate icing (unforecast). In less than 2 mins we felt a moderate propeller vibration due to ice accumulation and experienced a 30 KT loss in airspeed (from 190 KT to 160 KT). We requested a lower altitude, but we were advised to expect 10 more mins at 14000 ft. We requested a turn off the airway, but were advised that traffic would not allow. As it became increasingly difficult to hold altitude the propeller continued to vibrate moderately. As PIC I was 30 seconds away from declaring an emergency. We were given 10000 ft and we descended quickly and were able to shed the ice buildups completely at this altitude (temperature above 0 degree C). My purpose for this report was not specifically the ice, but a look at the human performance considerations. Consider the following: I have no autoplt on the BA3200. All flying is manual. No yaw damper. In moderate turbulence, also encountered on this flight, aircraft yaws so much that you are exhausted once reaching destination, often asking the first officer to fly the approach and land. No flight attendant. Presence of a flight attendant assures me that at least the passenger are being taken care of and are seated with seat belts on. Many of the BA3200's have poorly maintained pressurization system and must operate manually and watched continuously, adding to workload. My company plans to add ACARS/GPS/FMS to these aircraft shortly. Do you think I have time to fiddle with that during periods of high workload? Schedules are sometimes very unsafe. Example: 15.2 hours of duty, 9.2 hours block (legal due to WX delay), 5.9 hours of which were hard IFR in icing. I realize that all of this is legal but it just doesn't make it safe. As a professional pilot I always desire and strive for standardization and good judgement. Fatigue insidiously destroys both. I readily admit that I did not call in fatigued when I should have. But since there is little policy to protect flcs from losing our jobs from just one call-in, I feel almost no choice but to complete the trip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BA3200 ACR CAPT RPTS ENCOUNTERING MODERATE ICING CONDITIONS ACCOMPANIED BY PROP VIBRATIONS AND AIRSPD LOSS. AFTER SOME DELAY THE FLC WAS ALLOWED TO DSND TO A WARMER ALT WHERE THE ICE MELTED AND PERFORMANCE RETURNED TO NORMAL.

Narrative: COMMUTER FLT CONDUCTED IN A BA3200 FROM WHITE PLAINS (HPN), NY, TO WASHINGTON DULLES ARPT. DEPARTED HPN AT XA35 AND AFTER REACHING 14000 FT WE ENTERED AN AREA OF MODERATE ICING (UNFORECAST). IN LESS THAN 2 MINS WE FELT A MODERATE PROP VIBRATION DUE TO ICE ACCUMULATION AND EXPERIENCED A 30 KT LOSS IN AIRSPD (FROM 190 KT TO 160 KT). WE REQUESTED A LOWER ALT, BUT WE WERE ADVISED TO EXPECT 10 MORE MINS AT 14000 FT. WE REQUESTED A TURN OFF THE AIRWAY, BUT WERE ADVISED THAT TFC WOULD NOT ALLOW. AS IT BECAME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO HOLD ALT THE PROP CONTINUED TO VIBRATE MODERATELY. AS PIC I WAS 30 SECONDS AWAY FROM DECLARING AN EMER. WE WERE GIVEN 10000 FT AND WE DSNDED QUICKLY AND WERE ABLE TO SHED THE ICE BUILDUPS COMPLETELY AT THIS ALT (TEMP ABOVE 0 DEG C). MY PURPOSE FOR THIS RPT WAS NOT SPECIFICALLY THE ICE, BUT A LOOK AT THE HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS. CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING: I HAVE NO AUTOPLT ON THE BA3200. ALL FLYING IS MANUAL. NO YAW DAMPER. IN MODERATE TURB, ALSO ENCOUNTERED ON THIS FLT, ACFT YAWS SO MUCH THAT YOU ARE EXHAUSTED ONCE REACHING DEST, OFTEN ASKING THE FO TO FLY THE APCH AND LAND. NO FLT ATTENDANT. PRESENCE OF A FLT ATTENDANT ASSURES ME THAT AT LEAST THE PAX ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF AND ARE SEATED WITH SEAT BELTS ON. MANY OF THE BA3200'S HAVE POORLY MAINTAINED PRESSURIZATION SYS AND MUST OPERATE MANUALLY AND WATCHED CONTINUOUSLY, ADDING TO WORKLOAD. MY COMPANY PLANS TO ADD ACARS/GPS/FMS TO THESE ACFT SHORTLY. DO YOU THINK I HAVE TIME TO FIDDLE WITH THAT DURING PERIODS OF HIGH WORKLOAD? SCHEDULES ARE SOMETIMES VERY UNSAFE. EXAMPLE: 15.2 HRS OF DUTY, 9.2 HRS BLOCK (LEGAL DUE TO WX DELAY), 5.9 HRS OF WHICH WERE HARD IFR IN ICING. I REALIZE THAT ALL OF THIS IS LEGAL BUT IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE IT SAFE. AS A PROFESSIONAL PLT I ALWAYS DESIRE AND STRIVE FOR STANDARDIZATION AND GOOD JUDGEMENT. FATIGUE INSIDIOUSLY DESTROYS BOTH. I READILY ADMIT THAT I DID NOT CALL IN FATIGUED WHEN I SHOULD HAVE. BUT SINCE THERE IS LITTLE POLICY TO PROTECT FLCS FROM LOSING OUR JOBS FROM JUST ONE CALL-IN, I FEEL ALMOST NO CHOICE BUT TO COMPLETE THE TRIP.

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.