Captain of a cpr turboprop took off with ice on the tail section which froze when climbing through a...

Attributes
ACN	507338
Time
Date	200104
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : cetra
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Ice other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse.artcc tracon : d01.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 108 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 3837
ASRS Report	507338
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence other other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : elevator control other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated controller : provided flight assist flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Large hailstorm passed through area leaving a large amount of slush on aircraft. Captain had it brushed off wings and most of body, but not the tail, as there was no means to get to it. I, PNF, told captain (our base safety representative) that company operations required a 'clean' airplane for takeoff. He responded 'yeah' but that he wasn't concerned about the tail and that the slush would blow off on takeoff and that the tail had a positive pressure on the bottom anyway. I also told him we needed to get a ladder or something to deice the airplane when we needed to. Well, he was right, it blew off on takeoff -- right into the space between the elevator and horizontal stabilizer. And as we climbed through a thick freezing overcast it froze and when it came to level off at 9000 ft, the pitch control was frozen. This caused the airplane to lurch about 400 ft at a time as we were at times able to get some movement. I immediately informed ATC we had a pitch control problem and suspected the elevator had frozen over. We obtained a clearance to 5000 ft (warmer temperature) and a deviation east of course to maintain VFR conditions. Approaching 5000 ft, controls became normal. Captain called chief pilot on ground and reported incident. Captain made a really bad decision as both far part 135 and company operations require a clean airplane for takeoff. Captain did not listen to first officer's concerns or ask for his input. First officer was not assertive enough (but will be in the future). Both crew members are trained in CRM (which will be practiced in the future). We were lucky -- you will never get another report like this from me!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A CPR TURBOPROP TOOK OFF WITH ICE ON THE TAIL SECTION WHICH FROZE WHEN CLBING THROUGH A FREEZING OVCST CAUSING THE ELEVATORS TO STICK AND FREEZE UP, RESULTING IN LOSS OF ACFT PITCH CTL. THE ICE MELTED AFTER ATC ASSISTED THEM TO A LOWER AND WARMER ALT.

Narrative: LARGE HAILSTORM PASSED THROUGH AREA LEAVING A LARGE AMOUNT OF SLUSH ON ACFT. CAPT HAD IT BRUSHED OFF WINGS AND MOST OF BODY, BUT NOT THE TAIL, AS THERE WAS NO MEANS TO GET TO IT. I, PNF, TOLD CAPT (OUR BASE SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE) THAT COMPANY OPS REQUIRED A 'CLEAN' AIRPLANE FOR TKOF. HE RESPONDED 'YEAH' BUT THAT HE WASN'T CONCERNED ABOUT THE TAIL AND THAT THE SLUSH WOULD BLOW OFF ON TKOF AND THAT THE TAIL HAD A POSITIVE PRESSURE ON THE BOTTOM ANYWAY. I ALSO TOLD HIM WE NEEDED TO GET A LADDER OR SOMETHING TO DEICE THE AIRPLANE WHEN WE NEEDED TO. WELL, HE WAS RIGHT, IT BLEW OFF ON TKOF -- RIGHT INTO THE SPACE BTWN THE ELEVATOR AND HORIZ STABILIZER. AND AS WE CLBED THROUGH A THICK FREEZING OVCST IT FROZE AND WHEN IT CAME TO LEVEL OFF AT 9000 FT, THE PITCH CTL WAS FROZEN. THIS CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO LURCH ABOUT 400 FT AT A TIME AS WE WERE AT TIMES ABLE TO GET SOME MOVEMENT. I IMMEDIATELY INFORMED ATC WE HAD A PITCH CTL PROB AND SUSPECTED THE ELEVATOR HAD FROZEN OVER. WE OBTAINED A CLRNC TO 5000 FT (WARMER TEMP) AND A DEV E OF COURSE TO MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS. APCHING 5000 FT, CTLS BECAME NORMAL. CAPT CALLED CHIEF PLT ON GND AND RPTED INCIDENT. CAPT MADE A REALLY BAD DECISION AS BOTH FAR PART 135 AND COMPANY OPS REQUIRE A CLEAN AIRPLANE FOR TKOF. CAPT DID NOT LISTEN TO FO'S CONCERNS OR ASK FOR HIS INPUT. FO WAS NOT ASSERTIVE ENOUGH (BUT WILL BE IN THE FUTURE). BOTH CREW MEMBERS ARE TRAINED IN CRM (WHICH WILL BE PRACTICED IN THE FUTURE). WE WERE LUCKY -- YOU WILL NEVER GET ANOTHER RPT LIKE THIS FROM ME!

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.

Captain of a cpr turboprop took off with ice on the tail section which froze when climbing through a freezing overcast causing the elevators to stick and freeze up, resulting in loss of aircraft pitch control. The ice melted after ATC assisted them to a lower and warmer altitude.