A C414 pilot encounters severe clear ice at FL220 and lost control of the aircraft in an inverted sp...

Attributes
ACN	593040
Time
Date	200308
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tex.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 22000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Chancellor 414A & C414
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1800 flight time type : 210
ASRS Report	593040
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Was flying from dallas, tx, to tex when I encountered severe clear ice at FL270. True airspeed 204 KTS. I started to descend but got caught in an updraft at 2100 FPM. Ice was clear and built up to 4 inches on wings in approximately 30 seconds. All controls froze and became inverted after a stall. Descended 10K ft in approximately 40 seconds inverted and in a spin. Ice broke off and regained control of aircraft 1500-2000 ft AGL. Deice equipment could not handle this ice. Ice when hit the windshield was about the size of a silver dollar to a half dollar. Thank god for inverted flight training and warmer WX. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: during callback, the reporter stated that he encountered severe ice the size of pancakes which accumulated on the wings 4-6 inches in 20 seconds. The temperature was -24 degrees C and he was in and out of cumulus clouds. He first encountered an updraft which he claims was ice on the elevator that caused the aircraft to pitch up. Then he got into an inverted spin at FL220. The ice broke off at 13000 ft and he was able to regain control of the aircraft at 800 ft. The reporter then climbed to 11000 ft and contacted ZDV where they indicated that they were surprised that he was still alive. The controller wanted him to climb to 16000 ft but he requested to stay at 11000 ft to remain clear of the ice. Reporter claims that he was very shook up. The next day, the reporter did a preflight where everything appeared to be normal. He then flew to florida and discovered after landing that the elevator was twisted and that the skin was starting to come off. Reporter feels that even though he was preoccupied on the preflight, that he would have noticed something like that. He feels that the damage was caused in the icing incident, but did not become noticeable until after the flight to florida.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C414 PLT ENCOUNTERS SEVERE CLR ICE AT FL220 AND LOST CTL OF THE ACFT IN AN INVERTED SPIN. THE PLT REGAINED CTL OF THE ACFT AT 1500 FT.

Narrative: WAS FLYING FROM DALLAS, TX, TO TEX WHEN I ENCOUNTERED SEVERE CLR ICE AT FL270. TRUE AIRSPD 204 KTS. I STARTED TO DSND BUT GOT CAUGHT IN AN UPDRAFT AT 2100 FPM. ICE WAS CLR AND BUILT UP TO 4 INCHES ON WINGS IN APPROX 30 SECONDS. ALL CTLS FROZE AND BECAME INVERTED AFTER A STALL. DSNDED 10K FT IN APPROX 40 SECONDS INVERTED AND IN A SPIN. ICE BROKE OFF AND REGAINED CTL OF ACFT 1500-2000 FT AGL. DEICE EQUIP COULD NOT HANDLE THIS ICE. ICE WHEN HIT THE WINDSHIELD WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SILVER DOLLAR TO A HALF DOLLAR. THANK GOD FOR INVERTED FLT TRAINING AND WARMER WX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DURING CALLBACK, THE RPTR STATED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE ICE THE SIZE OF PANCAKES WHICH ACCUMULATED ON THE WINGS 4-6 INCHES IN 20 SECONDS. THE TEMP WAS -24 DEGS C AND HE WAS IN AND OUT OF CUMULUS CLOUDS. HE FIRST ENCOUNTERED AN UPDRAFT WHICH HE CLAIMS WAS ICE ON THE ELEVATOR THAT CAUSED THE ACFT TO PITCH UP. THEN HE GOT INTO AN INVERTED SPIN AT FL220. THE ICE BROKE OFF AT 13000 FT AND HE WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CTL OF THE ACFT AT 800 FT. THE RPTR THEN CLBED TO 11000 FT AND CONTACTED ZDV WHERE THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WERE SURPRISED THAT HE WAS STILL ALIVE. THE CTLR WANTED HIM TO CLB TO 16000 FT BUT HE REQUESTED TO STAY AT 11000 FT TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ICE. RPTR CLAIMS THAT HE WAS VERY SHOOK UP. THE NEXT DAY, THE RPTR DID A PREFLT WHERE EVERYTHING APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. HE THEN FLEW TO FLORIDA AND DISCOVERED AFTER LNDG THAT THE ELEVATOR WAS TWISTED AND THAT THE SKIN WAS STARTING TO COME OFF. RPTR FEELS THAT EVEN THOUGH HE WAS PREOCCUPIED ON THE PREFLT, THAT HE WOULD HAVE NOTICED SOMETHING LIKE THAT. HE FEELS THAT THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED IN THE ICING INCIDENT, BUT DID NOT BECOME NOTICEABLE UNTIL AFTER THE FLT TO FLORIDA.

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.

A C414 pilot encounters severe clear ice at FL220 and lost control of the aircraft in an inverted spin. The pilot regained control of the aircraft at 1500 ft.