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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Glassair 1 pilot flies into an area forecast with possible icing conditions above 9000 ft 20 mi west of I58 after departure.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 613418 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200404 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : i58.airport |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 11000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Ice Rain |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zab.artcc tower : sfo.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Experimental |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : v62.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 3760 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 613418 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : flight data other personnel |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated controller : provided flight assist flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : landed in emergency condition |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was sitting in the FBO at plainview, tx, getting 5 min old doppler radar. I had gotten a briefing earlier that called for thunderstorms between plainview and santa flight engineer (our destination). I saw a precipitation free window along V62, called for another briefing and was told there was a window of opportunity from plainview and santa flight engineer with the forecast of possible icing from 9000 ft to FL210. We departed in light rain and IMC at 1100 ft. We had no problems at 8000 ft and were between layers until just southwest of anton chico VOR where we had to go to 10000 ft just after anton chico. Albuquerque told me that he had a PIREP of light icing above 9000 ft. As I reached 10000 ft, I started picking up rime ice. I asked for higher and started a climb, but it quickly became apparent that I would not reach 12000 ft. The ice was building very fast. I could not maintain altitude with full power and started to descend. I told albuquerque that I had to descend to hold airspeed. I did a 180 degree turn to head back to lower terrain. I asked for vectors to the nearest airport and was told that santa rosa was 12 O'clock position and 20 mi. I headed for santa rosa while still in a descent. I was vectored over the airport and with the help of my certified GPS, circled down in a half standard rate turn. The ice was still on the wing but was no longer building. I broke out, saw the airport and made a normal landing with ice flying off the plane in chunks. I canceled IFR on the ground in santa rosa. In hindsight, I thought with the window of no precipitation between plainview and santa flight engineer I could make it to santa flight engineer. The temperatures in the clouds went from 34 degrees to 28 degrees as I climbed to 10000 ft. The PIREP of light icing changed to heavy fast icing by the time I got past anton chico at 10000 ft. The forecast of the freezing level at 9000 ft should have been a no-go decision.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: GLASSAIR 1 PLT FLIES INTO AN AREA FORECAST WITH POSSIBLE ICING CONDITIONS ABOVE 9000 FT 20 MI W OF I58 AFTER DEP.
Narrative: I WAS SITTING IN THE FBO AT PLAINVIEW, TX, GETTING 5 MIN OLD DOPPLER RADAR. I HAD GOTTEN A BRIEFING EARLIER THAT CALLED FOR TSTMS BTWN PLAINVIEW AND SANTA FE (OUR DEST). I SAW A PRECIP FREE WINDOW ALONG V62, CALLED FOR ANOTHER BRIEFING AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FROM PLAINVIEW AND SANTA FE WITH THE FORECAST OF POSSIBLE ICING FROM 9000 FT TO FL210. WE DEPARTED IN LIGHT RAIN AND IMC AT 1100 FT. WE HAD NO PROBS AT 8000 FT AND WERE BTWN LAYERS UNTIL JUST SW OF ANTON CHICO VOR WHERE WE HAD TO GO TO 10000 FT JUST AFTER ANTON CHICO. ALBUQUERQUE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD A PIREP OF LIGHT ICING ABOVE 9000 FT. AS I REACHED 10000 FT, I STARTED PICKING UP RIME ICE. I ASKED FOR HIGHER AND STARTED A CLB, BUT IT QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT THAT I WOULD NOT REACH 12000 FT. THE ICE WAS BUILDING VERY FAST. I COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT WITH FULL PWR AND STARTED TO DSND. I TOLD ALBUQUERQUE THAT I HAD TO DSND TO HOLD AIRSPD. I DID A 180 DEG TURN TO HEAD BACK TO LOWER TERRAIN. I ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT AND WAS TOLD THAT SANTA ROSA WAS 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 20 MI. I HEADED FOR SANTA ROSA WHILE STILL IN A DSCNT. I WAS VECTORED OVER THE ARPT AND WITH THE HELP OF MY CERTIFIED GPS, CIRCLED DOWN IN A HALF STANDARD RATE TURN. THE ICE WAS STILL ON THE WING BUT WAS NO LONGER BUILDING. I BROKE OUT, SAW THE ARPT AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG WITH ICE FLYING OFF THE PLANE IN CHUNKS. I CANCELED IFR ON THE GND IN SANTA ROSA. IN HINDSIGHT, I THOUGHT WITH THE WINDOW OF NO PRECIP BTWN PLAINVIEW AND SANTA FE I COULD MAKE IT TO SANTA FE. THE TEMPS IN THE CLOUDS WENT FROM 34 DEGS TO 28 DEGS AS I CLBED TO 10000 FT. THE PIREP OF LIGHT ICING CHANGED TO HVY FAST ICING BY THE TIME I GOT PAST ANTON CHICO AT 10000 FT. THE FORECAST OF THE FREEZING LEVEL AT 9000 FT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A NO-GO DECISION.
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.