Narrative:

En route cruise from iad to tys at FL240, we had failure of right propeller heat while in icing conditions. Following company procedures and QRH, we climbed out of hazardous conditions to FL250 and proceeded to divert to airport with non icing conditions (tys reported 1 1/4 mi visibility blowing snow). Following company directions we went to bdl. En route to bdl, the clouds/ice conditions rose to FL250 (the aircraft altitude limit in the united states, but not in the united kingdom). We then climbed (ATC approved) to FL260 to avoid dangerous conditions. Declared emergency and we were given priority handling to bdl where we landed without further incident. I think that deviation from our maximum altitude of FL250 was necessary for the safety of the flight and that had we not taken this action, the safety of our passenger would be in jeopardy. Even though we exceeded the united states limit of FL250, we didn't exceed limit the design and certification of the airplane of FL260. Had we not taken this action, the right propeller could have accumulated ice, and vibration could have occurred forcing us to make us shut down that engine and execute single engine approach in icing conditions -- contrary to our QRH. This was a huge system and we avoided it as best as we could.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BAE JETSTREAM 41 CRUISING AT FL240 HAD FAILURE OF R PROP HEAT. IN ICING CONDITIONS WAS CLRED TO FL250 AND PROCEEDED TO DIVERT TO ARPT WITH NON ICING CONDITIONS. DIVERT TO BDL AND ENRTE ENCOUNTERED MORE ICING. DECLARED EMER AND CLRED TO CLB TO FL260, ABOVE THE UNITED STATES APPROVED SVC CEILING BUT OK IN UNITED KINGDOM. GIVEN PRIORITY HANDLING TO BDL AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS.

Narrative: ENRTE CRUISE FROM IAD TO TYS AT FL240, WE HAD FAILURE OF R PROP HEAT WHILE IN ICING CONDITIONS. FOLLOWING COMPANY PROCS AND QRH, WE CLBED OUT OF HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS TO FL250 AND PROCEEDED TO DIVERT TO ARPT WITH NON ICING CONDITIONS (TYS RPTED 1 1/4 MI VISIBILITY BLOWING SNOW). FOLLOWING COMPANY DIRECTIONS WE WENT TO BDL. ENRTE TO BDL, THE CLOUDS/ICE CONDITIONS ROSE TO FL250 (THE ACFT ALT LIMIT IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT NOT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM). WE THEN CLBED (ATC APPROVED) TO FL260 TO AVOID DANGEROUS CONDITIONS. DECLARED EMER AND WE WERE GIVEN PRIORITY HANDLING TO BDL WHERE WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I THINK THAT DEV FROM OUR MAX ALT OF FL250 WAS NECESSARY FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT AND THAT HAD WE NOT TAKEN THIS ACTION, THE SAFETY OF OUR PAX WOULD BE IN JEOPARDY. EVEN THOUGH WE EXCEEDED THE UNITED STATES LIMIT OF FL250, WE DIDN'T EXCEED LIMIT THE DESIGN AND CERTIFICATION OF THE AIRPLANE OF FL260. HAD WE NOT TAKEN THIS ACTION, THE R PROP COULD HAVE ACCUMULATED ICE, AND VIBRATION COULD HAVE OCCURRED FORCING US TO MAKE US SHUT DOWN THAT ENG AND EXECUTE SINGLE ENG APCH IN ICING CONDITIONS -- CONTRARY TO OUR QRH. THIS WAS A HUGE SYS AND WE AVOIDED IT AS BEST AS WE COULD.

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.