Severe Icing Decisions

[Fleet80]

I've waited a few weeks before posting this, because I didn't want to accidently identify any of the pilots or operators involved. I keep playing over the event in my mind, and just can't let it go, I personally was horrified at the lack of airmanship displayed, and I believe that our community came very close to losing friends and passengers. Perhaps some here will learn from this near-accident and avoid the situation should it ever occur again, so here goes.
The weather at the departure field was nice, with clear skies overhead, calm winds and warm temperatures. However, just a few miles east, a sigmet was in effect, which the airport was responsible enough to include in the ATIS. The sigmet reported a band of severe icing encountered, from 10,000 to 15,000 feet, extending in a north-south line about 50-75 miles long. We took off heading in the opposite direction, climbed in the clear to 15,000' and then turned east toward the weather. We encountered no problems, no icing, no issues. Meanwhile, two turbo-prop aircraft took off within minutes of us, turned directly into the weather and presumeably configured for the weather they quickly encountered. Within a few minutes, one of the aircraft reported they were in a 180 degree turn back to the airport, unable to hold their altitude due to icing. The other aircraft entered the icing briefly, then quickly requested a lower altitude. The ATC chatter was rather horrifying in my mind, with the controller unable to comprehend what was going on, he simply issued standard clearances, for example, turn left (the aircraft was already in a right turn,) maintain 12,000' (the aircraft couldn't maintain any altitude), lower when clear of traffic, (no one should be told to stay at an altitude with severe icing), and the pilots seemed unable to clearly state their problem and get on with the right course of action.
I know there are a lot of new pilots out there in shiny big airplanes, eagerly building time for peanuts, living the dream of aviator, but for heaven's sake people - pay attention! I don't care if you're a B747 or a caravan, you DO NOT intentionally fly into severe icing. This wasn't forecast, this wasn't expected, it was SEVERE icing reported. There was absolutely no problem departing the airport, shuttling up to 15,000' and proceeding on course. It added maybe 10 minutes to our flight, it cost us a few dollars in gas, dead simple. Please, think about your flight plan, take what your dispatchers give you as little more than advice, do you own weather analysis, and change your route, altitude or alternate when you think it needs to be done. The choices were so easy, yet no one seemed to even blink in the face of the reports, they just took off on time, on flight plan, when they could have waited, filed a lower altitude, flown around the weather, or shuttled higher in the clear. That's off my chest, maybe I can forget about it now, but will you?

[Flywest]

Excellent post,

I sincerely share your frustration regarding this issue. While they are in the minority, it's amazing how some people don't understand the limits of their aircraft (in particular turbo-props) when it comes to these conditions.

Fly safe everyone, winters coming!

[greenwich]

This is the key line...

There was absolutely no problem departing the airport, shuttling up to 15,000' and proceeding on course. It added maybe 10 minutes to our flight, it cost us a few dollars in gas, dead simple.

Over the years it has AMAZED me over and over again what pilots will do to 'save' a few minutes.

- "Can we get direct..." (busy night going into CYYC)
- "We can take a VFR departure..." (because there's a KA on final at YQU)
- "We'd like to cancel IFR..." (after ATC slows the A/C down due to slower traffic ahead)
- "Can I get a Contact Approach..." (going into YEG on a shitty Wx day)
- Taking off into Thunder Storms.
- Taking off into severe ice.
- Taking off in Freezing Rain.

I've seen and heard it all!

SLOW THE FAWK DOWN!

G

[Out of Control]

I think it is hilarious when you have to delay a charter due to weather and the client has the nerve to tell you "I thought I chartered an all weather A/C". We are going to be late!!!

[oldtimer]

The cost of operating an airplane is always a big factor and the closer the owner is to the operation spending his own money, the worse it gets. I have had a number of people tell me to turn the radar off when it is not in use to "save the magnetron" and then Archie Trammel, the electrical engineer who designed the things tells us in his radar seminars that if you turn the radar off and save it for a rainy day, the magnetron will last 10 years but if you turn it on all the time, it will only last 10 years. There have been a number of accidents with TPE 331 powered airplanes where the engine anti-ice was left off because it cost you 7 or 8 knots in cruise only to find out it cost you 230 plus knots when the friggen engine quits. I know of many instances where pilots have gotten themselves in trouble because they delayed taking proper action to either exit icing or at least get all the de-ice and anti-ice protection on early. I am a true believer in cutting cost but there is a limit and turning off equipment to save is not one of them.

[sky's the limit]

It should be very simple for all pilots - if you have the equipment, use it.

It doesn't matter who you work for, "saving" fuel or equipment by shortcutting saftely is not proffesional, it's not what you're paid to do. The people in the back who have purschased that ticket, are doing so on the assumption that the company, the aircraft, and the crew are all operating in their best intrests. Clearly this is not always the case.

There is a huge difference between cutting small corners here and there to expedite the flight in good weather, and making poor, sunsafe decisions in marginal or poor wx. I think half the problem is that on 99% of the days, these decisions work out just fine, the problem is that it's habit forming. On the day where it counts, like the one posted above, the process is the same, often overlooking the pertinent information regarding the factors effecting the flight.

I'm glad it worked out well, hopefully these four pilots will never do it again.

[talkinghead]

I've seen and heard it all!

SLOW THE FAWK DOWN!

G

Thats it, in a nut shell.

[trey kule]

I know this is a little off the topic, but the comment of eficiency being a problem can be helped by pilots. to often little excursions, pilots deciding to do a full procedure approach in good wx "for practice", generous flight time calculations means the company comes down on wastage, and unfortunately , this spills over to those times when it is important to have eyerything on or make a little diversion.

As pilots, you can help this culture by being professional. Dont do things "for fun" in the air. If you need training, ask the training capt or CP...dont just go and do it. Be efficient when you can. Then when situations like this occur no one is questioning why you took an extra 15 minutes to do the Wx.

[loopy]

Excellent post Fleet80. What part of "Severe Icing" and the risks associated do people not understand ? I don't believe there is yet an aircraft in existance that is capable of forging on through sever icing conditions.

I tjust goes to show that you can have all the regulations, and equipment in the world, even training, but you just can't teach common sense to some people.

[water wings]

good stuff... i was a bit concerned when i read the title of the thread "severe icing decisions" thinking to myself "decision? but severe ice- ah, i see"
as every one has stated: there is no decision to make, lest it be made for you. glad to see common sense prevailing for you, Fleet80 - thanks for sharing the story! fly safe y'all this winter!!

[Flying Nutcracker]

What's more efficient??? Taking the shortcut through the ice and returning to your point of departure, or taking a detour to either get around it or above it and actually reaching the destination on the first try???

I've learned the hard way that severe icing is not fun, and if I can avoid it I will! Even if it means adding 15 minutes (which is RARE!!!) to the flighttime.

I've heard of three separate incidents on the west coast over the last month involving severe icing, buffeting and inability to climb. All of them occurred rapidly fast and were not advertised.