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An embraer 120 in cruise at 16000 ft encountered severe icing conditions which airfoil icing system could not shed. Descent to 15500 ft corrected icing problem.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 501516 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200102 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 15500 msl bound upper : 16000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Ice |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zse.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Brasilia EMB-120 All Series |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 4700 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 501516 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
While flying from xyz to ZZZ at 16000 ft MSL, we encountered severe icing. The outside air temperature was -10 degrees C. With the boots on high and the propellers on cold, we could not get rid of the ice. The indications were ice on the boots that was accumulating faster than the boots were able to get rid of it. Also, there was ice on the propeller spinner aft of the blades. Ice on the propellers was creating a vibration through the aircraft. Ice coming off of the propeller was initially causing loud thumps against the fuselage as it dislodged. The non-heated portions of the windshield had 1/2 inch of ice on them. The autoplt was disengaged and we had a slight nose down pitch. The controls were slightly lighter than normal. We were given a pilot's discretion descent to 10000 ft MSL, so we immediately executed a descent. At about 15500 ft MSL, the boots started to shed the ice. We cycled the propellers about 2% to shed the ice.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EMBRAER 120 IN CRUISE AT 16000 FT ENCOUNTERED SEVERE ICING CONDITIONS WHICH AIRFOIL ICING SYS COULD NOT SHED. DSCNT TO 15500 FT CORRECTED ICING PROB.
Narrative: WHILE FLYING FROM XYZ TO ZZZ AT 16000 FT MSL, WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE ICING. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS -10 DEGS C. WITH THE BOOTS ON HIGH AND THE PROPS ON COLD, WE COULD NOT GET RID OF THE ICE. THE INDICATIONS WERE ICE ON THE BOOTS THAT WAS ACCUMULATING FASTER THAN THE BOOTS WERE ABLE TO GET RID OF IT. ALSO, THERE WAS ICE ON THE PROP SPINNER AFT OF THE BLADES. ICE ON THE PROPS WAS CREATING A VIBRATION THROUGH THE ACFT. ICE COMING OFF OF THE PROP WAS INITIALLY CAUSING LOUD THUMPS AGAINST THE FUSELAGE AS IT DISLODGED. THE NON-HEATED PORTIONS OF THE WINDSHIELD HAD 1/2 INCH OF ICE ON THEM. THE AUTOPLT WAS DISENGAGED AND WE HAD A SLIGHT NOSE DOWN PITCH. THE CTLS WERE SLIGHTLY LIGHTER THAN NORMAL. WE WERE GIVEN A PLT'S DISCRETION DSCNT TO 10000 FT MSL, SO WE IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A DSCNT. AT ABOUT 15500 FT MSL, THE BOOTS STARTED TO SHED THE ICE. WE CYCLED THE PROPS ABOUT 2% TO SHED THE ICE.
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.