Narrative:

We departed pne IFR to sbn with 5280 pounds of freight aboard. As sic with low time in type, I was leaving decisions up to the captain. We encountered icing conditions near ohio/pennsylvania border. Heavy ice began to build on the aircraft as we continued on at 3500 ft. We activated the aircraft's deice equipment once, for a short period of time. As we were near cleveland, I was nervous of carrying the amount of ice, so I suggested to the captain that we land. We were intending on landing at toledo for fuel, which was over an hour away at this time, so the diversion would also allow us to refuel. We were given vectors to ILS runway 5R. We intercepted the localizer at 8 mi (GPS) out. As we were established, the captain called for gear down before landing checklist items. It took 3 cycles to finally get a 'down- locked' indication (probably due to ice buildups on the gear mechanisms). In normal cruise, to hold altitude, with the power setting as we set it before encountering ice, the airspeed dropped from the normal 125-130 KIAS to 97-100 KIAS. On short final, I was doublechking the before landing short final checklist items, when very suddenly, the aircraft departed it stable approach status with violent pitch and roll changes. The captain yelled 'I'm losing it!' at this point my CFI instincts took over. I took the controls and realized we were imminent to a full stall. In attempting to regain control, we struck the ground and other obstructions with the wings and empennage. We managed to control it to the runway and landed. No further incident. Actual knowledge of impacting ground and obstructions was obtained during taxi. Supplemental information from acn 423355: on final it took 3 tries to get the gear down and locked with green light because of ice buildup on the gear locking mechanism. This distraction caused me to lose enough airspeed to be on the edge of a stall. The wings rocked and the right one took out parts of the ILS antenna. The aircraft was damaged, but we landed on the runway without damage to the engines, propellers or gear. We taxied to parking and shut down. The aircraft was quite heavy with mostly clear ice and 5280 pounds of freight. There were no injuries to anyone.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC3 CREW LOSES CTL OF ACFT DUE TO ICE BUILDUP AND STRIKES GND EQUIP ON APCH TO CLE.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED PNE IFR TO SBN WITH 5280 LBS OF FREIGHT ABOARD. AS SIC WITH LOW TIME IN TYPE, I WAS LEAVING DECISIONS UP TO THE CAPT. WE ENCOUNTERED ICING CONDITIONS NEAR OHIO/PENNSYLVANIA BORDER. HVY ICE BEGAN TO BUILD ON THE ACFT AS WE CONTINUED ON AT 3500 FT. WE ACTIVATED THE ACFT'S DEICE EQUIP ONCE, FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. AS WE WERE NEAR CLEVELAND, I WAS NERVOUS OF CARRYING THE AMOUNT OF ICE, SO I SUGGESTED TO THE CAPT THAT WE LAND. WE WERE INTENDING ON LNDG AT TOLEDO FOR FUEL, WHICH WAS OVER AN HR AWAY AT THIS TIME, SO THE DIVERSION WOULD ALSO ALLOW US TO REFUEL. WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS TO ILS RWY 5R. WE INTERCEPTED THE LOC AT 8 MI (GPS) OUT. AS WE WERE ESTABLISHED, THE CAPT CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST ITEMS. IT TOOK 3 CYCLES TO FINALLY GET A 'DOWN- LOCKED' INDICATION (PROBABLY DUE TO ICE BUILDUPS ON THE GEAR MECHANISMS). IN NORMAL CRUISE, TO HOLD ALT, WITH THE PWR SETTING AS WE SET IT BEFORE ENCOUNTERING ICE, THE AIRSPD DROPPED FROM THE NORMAL 125-130 KIAS TO 97-100 KIAS. ON SHORT FINAL, I WAS DOUBLECHKING THE BEFORE LNDG SHORT FINAL CHKLIST ITEMS, WHEN VERY SUDDENLY, THE ACFT DEPARTED IT STABLE APCH STATUS WITH VIOLENT PITCH AND ROLL CHANGES. THE CAPT YELLED 'I'M LOSING IT!' AT THIS POINT MY CFI INSTINCTS TOOK OVER. I TOOK THE CTLS AND REALIZED WE WERE IMMINENT TO A FULL STALL. IN ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN CTL, WE STRUCK THE GND AND OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS WITH THE WINGS AND EMPENNAGE. WE MANAGED TO CTL IT TO THE RWY AND LANDED. NO FURTHER INCIDENT. ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF IMPACTING GND AND OBSTRUCTIONS WAS OBTAINED DURING TAXI. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 423355: ON FINAL IT TOOK 3 TRIES TO GET THE GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED WITH GREEN LIGHT BECAUSE OF ICE BUILDUP ON THE GEAR LOCKING MECHANISM. THIS DISTR CAUSED ME TO LOSE ENOUGH AIRSPD TO BE ON THE EDGE OF A STALL. THE WINGS ROCKED AND THE R ONE TOOK OUT PARTS OF THE ILS ANTENNA. THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED, BUT WE LANDED ON THE RWY WITHOUT DAMAGE TO THE ENGS, PROPS OR GEAR. WE TAXIED TO PARKING AND SHUT DOWN. THE ACFT WAS QUITE HVY WITH MOSTLY CLR ICE AND 5280 LBS OF FREIGHT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANYONE.

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.