I’m surprised european ATCs are not encouraging PIREPs more.
Peter wrote:
If there is IMC, below 0C and above something like -15C, there will be ice.Agree.
I reckon this guy was flying with an empty TKS tank – like a lot of people do. I say that because TKS is really effective and you would need to be in mega icing for it to be overcome. Or maybe it wasn’t working.
, if an aircraft is climbing and picking up ice, and eventually picks up enough that it stalls, would the extra speed in the descent, not bring the aircraft back under control, at least while in the descent.
Yes – exactly, unless the plane is massively iced up, well beyond being flyable even at 150kt. On a TB20, maybe 10cm of ice. I have had 3+cm, and quite a bit on the elevator, and while Vs was around 120kt, the plane was perfectly flyable above 120kt. Not something I recommend people try!
People disagree on how much ice an SR22 can carry, however… I am sure there are past posts here from owners…
Ever wondered why it was drafted that way?
It is the only way which makes sense?
The whole “FIKI” thing maps onto US weather services, which we don’t have here. So the briefing acquires a legal significance.
I don’t quite get the decision making process here. The guy filed for 12.000, knowing that that was the ceiling in the area with a relatively low freezing level. So he must have known that he would prob90 be in cloud with at least a decent chance of picking up ice. He then accepts 14k. Btw, MSA in this part of the world is around 10k over some very inhospitable terrain, so tricky to duck under the layer. Sounds to me like another case of get-there-itis. Poor chap probably wanted to watch the Superbowl in Reno, but had to be back at work in Oakland on Monday…..
We also don’t know if he had oxygen… that’s another thing which a lot of people try to skirt around. If I was trying to get out of somewhere and thought I could climb, I would ask for the absolute max, 18000ft in his case which IIRC is the certified ceiling (is it an airworthiness requirement?) In this context, the 14000ft number is significant.
The narrator at some point mentions that the airplane is O2 equipped, but that’s about all we know. I think the 18k ceiling on many US a/c is due to the start of the Class A above that level. This can also be a marketing exercise – IIRC, Cessna certified the 182 to 18k and the 210 to 25k (?), although the 182 (at least the turbo variant) can go beyond 18k.
In any case, it sounds like he tried to outrun the wx – not something I would want to try above the Sierras here.
I am unclear why he didnt file below the freezing layer given to him by flight service. I pay attention to the freezing layer in making the decision what level to fly.
rocks below ice above – set your level in between..
Other factors were he was requested to go up due ATC request (traffic from Truckie Tahoo) which he should have declined.
ice above rocks below set you level in the midst to avoid crashing down low
Peter wrote:
Or maybe it wasn’t working.
Or only partialy working.
I have seen this twice in the last 60 days.
The first, a FIKI TKS equipped SR22 that I was annualing. Found the left H stab completly un-plugged from the panel and both out-board wing panels completly clogged – not a trace of TKS even after running the pump on High.
The second was just yesterday: Flew through light icing on both climb out and decent. On climb out we noticed thatt the outboard wing panels were collecting ice but thought it was because we put the TKS on a bit late after having already colected the ice. But on the return flight we turned the TKS on High and before enering the clouds on decent. After landing there was still about 5mm of solid ice on the last 100 CMs of the oute wing panels.
Clearly, the TKS system REQUIRES periodic maintenance to be affective !
Michael wrote:
Clearly, the TKS system REQUIRES periodic maintenance to be affective !
You’re also supposed to check flow during preflight.
Airborne_Again wrote:
You’re also supposed to check flow during preflight.
I doubt that many do this since it would require putting on the master then switching on the TKS pump and waiting at least 2 – 3 minutes to ensure flow to ALL of the panels.
Then there is the mess that it makes and the cost of the TKS fluid that would be wasted.
I’ve NEVER seen any pilot test the TKS on pre-flight .
