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Instrument rated private pilot of a C172 experienced aircraft icing during IFR flight at cruise causing a decrease in engine and aircraft speed performance. Pilot continued on to destination which was closer than turning back to originating airport. Icing conditions were forecasted, but no PIREPS were available. Pilot had sprayed propeller with silicone in anticipation of icing conditions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 394410 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199802 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : jxn |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : v116 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 500 flight time type : 450 |
| ASRS Report | 394410 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
WX forecast was for VFR conditions on takeoff at Y47 airport and IFR conditions en route and at the destination airport jxn. Light occasionally moderate rime or mixed icing forecast from freezing level to 8000 ft. Similar icing forecast is standard daily from october to april in michigan. No PIREPS had yet indicated icing. Had flown at 3000 ft MSL the previous night IFR and not had any ice. Light clear ice started in the climb passing 3000 ft for 4000 ft. Defrost cleared the l-hand side of the windshield adequately. Lost 5 KTS in cruise due to light ice accumulation. No vibration from propeller was noticed. Decided to continue on shortest route which was the destination. WX at jackson had worsened to tower special of 500 ft and 1 1/2 mi mist. Shot ILS 24 approach with additional engine power and landed easily at jackson. Inspected plane on the ramp and measured an accumulation of 3/8 inch ice on narrow band on wing in 2 degrees C above freezing temperatures. ILS approach flown with no flaps (as usual) and 10 degrees on final. No ice on propeller which was treated before takeoff with silicone. Since 'known' icing conditions existed now, the plane was secured on the ramp and left there at jackson. Returned on sunday and flew back in VFR conditions. The small ice accumulation affected the performance, as did the need to run continuous carburetor heat during cruise on these early C172's. Had I not been between layers at 4000 ft towards jackson I would have gotten more ice during this short flight. It was warm enough at 3000 ft (with some ram heating 1-2 degrees C) to negate ice. Am re-evaluating winter flying IFR in michigan without trading up to a known ice airplane. Won't fly in dense cloud layer in temperature of 0 degrees C to -15 degrees C and in areas of frontal activity.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: INST RATED PVT PLT OF A C172 EXPERIENCED ACFT ICING DURING IFR FLT AT CRUISE CAUSING A DECREASE IN ENG AND ACFT SPD PERFORMANCE. PLT CONTINUED ON TO DEST WHICH WAS CLOSER THAN TURNING BACK TO ORIGINATING ARPT. ICING CONDITIONS WERE FORECASTED, BUT NO PIREPS WERE AVAILABLE. PLT HAD SPRAYED PROP WITH SILICONE IN ANTICIPATION OF ICING CONDITIONS.
Narrative: WX FORECAST WAS FOR VFR CONDITIONS ON TKOF AT Y47 ARPT AND IFR CONDITIONS ENRTE AND AT THE DEST ARPT JXN. LIGHT OCCASIONALLY MODERATE RIME OR MIXED ICING FORECAST FROM FREEZING LEVEL TO 8000 FT. SIMILAR ICING FORECAST IS STANDARD DAILY FROM OCTOBER TO APRIL IN MICHIGAN. NO PIREPS HAD YET INDICATED ICING. HAD FLOWN AT 3000 FT MSL THE PREVIOUS NIGHT IFR AND NOT HAD ANY ICE. LIGHT CLR ICE STARTED IN THE CLB PASSING 3000 FT FOR 4000 FT. DEFROST CLRED THE L-HAND SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD ADEQUATELY. LOST 5 KTS IN CRUISE DUE TO LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATION. NO VIBRATION FROM PROP WAS NOTICED. DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON SHORTEST RTE WHICH WAS THE DEST. WX AT JACKSON HAD WORSENED TO TWR SPECIAL OF 500 FT AND 1 1/2 MI MIST. SHOT ILS 24 APCH WITH ADDITIONAL ENG PWR AND LANDED EASILY AT JACKSON. INSPECTED PLANE ON THE RAMP AND MEASURED AN ACCUMULATION OF 3/8 INCH ICE ON NARROW BAND ON WING IN 2 DEGS C ABOVE FREEZING TEMPS. ILS APCH FLOWN WITH NO FLAPS (AS USUAL) AND 10 DEGS ON FINAL. NO ICE ON PROP WHICH WAS TREATED BEFORE TKOF WITH SILICONE. SINCE 'KNOWN' ICING CONDITIONS EXISTED NOW, THE PLANE WAS SECURED ON THE RAMP AND LEFT THERE AT JACKSON. RETURNED ON SUNDAY AND FLEW BACK IN VFR CONDITIONS. THE SMALL ICE ACCUMULATION AFFECTED THE PERFORMANCE, AS DID THE NEED TO RUN CONTINUOUS CARB HEAT DURING CRUISE ON THESE EARLY C172'S. HAD I NOT BEEN BTWN LAYERS AT 4000 FT TOWARDS JACKSON I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE ICE DURING THIS SHORT FLT. IT WAS WARM ENOUGH AT 3000 FT (WITH SOME RAM HEATING 1-2 DEGS C) TO NEGATE ICE. AM RE-EVALUATING WINTER FLYING IFR IN MICHIGAN WITHOUT TRADING UP TO A KNOWN ICE AIRPLANE. WON'T FLY IN DENSE CLOUD LAYER IN TEMP OF 0 DEGS C TO -15 DEGS C AND IN AREAS OF FRONTAL ACTIVITY.
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.