As winter creeps in and temperatures drop, the NTSB is here with a chilly reminder: ice and airplanes don’t mix well! In their latest Safety Alert SA-097, they’re urging pilots and operators to pay attention to the risks of icy wings, propellers, and, well, pretty much anything else that doesn’t need a frosty coating.
The NTSB didn’t hold back, warning that just a teeny quarter-inch of ice on the wing’s leading edge can bump up your stall speed by 25 to 40 knots—that’s a recipe for some very unwanted surprises mid-flight! And don’t forget about those trusty flight instruments; a little ice on the pitot tubes, and suddenly, your airspeed, altimeter, and vertical speed indicators might throw a tantrum, giving you incorrect readings or just stopping altogether.
For those pilots out there who were taught to wait for a nice chunk of ice before activating the deice boots, the NTSB is hitting the brakes on that myth. Waiting too long can seriously mess with your performance, and, in case you didn’t catch the hint, “use those deice boots the moment you encounter ice!” Also, relying too much on autopilot in icy conditions? Big no-no! It can rob you of the chance to feel changes in trim or control forces, which are critical for noticing ice buildup.
The alert also recalls some pretty sobering lessons from the past, including a fatal 2014 crash of an Embraer Phenom 100, where a misused checklist and failure to account for icy conditions led to tragedy. The pilot didn’t turn on the wing and stabilizer deice system and, oops, set the wrong landing speed. The plane stalled just three-quarters of a mile from the runway, ending in a collision with three houses. It’s a harsh reminder that using the right checklist isn’t just a good idea—it can be a lifesaver.
Moral of the story: if you’re flying this winter, don’t let ice sneak up on you! Deice early, fly safe, and keep the cold stuff where it belongs—outside the plane.
(Source: ainonline.com)
