Icing Hazards

 Icing Hazards

        On December 8, 2014, a jet crashed and killed three people after the pilot failed to turn on their de-icing equipment. The jet accumulated a large amount of ice on the wings which caused them to enter an aerodynamic stall and crash into a neighborhood. "The NTSB’s investigation found the pilot did not use the wing and horizontal stabilizer de-icing system on the Embraer EMB-500 Phenom during the approach." (ISHN, 2016) Investigators listened to the flight recorder after the crash which showed that the pilot skipped many checklist items which would have prevented this accident from happening. By not taking icing into consideration on approach, the plane was flying too slow and entered an aerodynamic stall. 

        When flying in icing conditions, it is always important to stay aware and make sure you are not accumulating ice on your wings. Most planes have deicing equipment such as wing boots, weeping wing, or a heated wing which can help prevent ice from forming. Without this equipment, ice can form very quickly and disturb the airflow over the wings which can lead to an accident. Not only does ice disturb the airflow over the wing, it also reduces the angle of attack, adds weight to the aircraft, and creates drag. Icing can be very dangerous, especially in situations like this, so pilots should always be aware of potential ice formation on the wings and use deicing equipment properly. 

References:

ISHN. (2016, June 7). NTSB: Fatal plane crash caused by ice on Wings. ISHN RSS. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://www.ishn.com/articles/104178-ntsb-fatal-plane-crash-caused-by-ice-on-wings

Hughes, T., & Kryza, K. (2021, December 8). How does aircraft deicing work? National Aviation Academy. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://www.naa.edu/aircraft-deicing/