Briefing: January 2010

Once upon a time it was considered just fine to polish frost smooth rather than scrape the junk off. Now the FAA has changed its mind. The rule is only binding on Parts 125, 135, or 91 subpart F (fractionals), but nine of the 12 frost-related accidents the FAA identified were with non-fractional Part 91 operations, so all of us might take note. Previous FAA guidance recommended removing all wing frost prior to takeoff, but allowed it to be polished smooth if the aircraft manufacturers recommended procedures were followed. But manufacturers never published standards for polished frost, and the FAA said it has no data to determine how to polish frost to satisfactory smoothness.

Editorial Staff

Monday, December 01, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has changed its guidance to explicitly prohibit polishing frost smooth on aircraft wings, now requiring complete removal before takeoff due to lack of safety data and manufacturer standards.
A single malfunctioning router at Salt Lake City caused widespread air traffic delays for hours, highlighting vulnerabilities in the FAA's network infrastructure due to archaic technologies.
The TSA is proposing new rules to require FAA-certificated repair stations, both domestic and international, to establish strict security protocols, access control, and security awareness training.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly being adopted for agricultural use, providing farmers with a cost-effective alternative for aerial imagery and farm management.

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The FAA Now Says, “Stop Polishing Your Frost.”

Once upon a time it was considered just fine to polish frost smooth rather than scrape the junk off. Now the FAA has changed its mind. The rule is only binding on Parts 125, 135, or 91 subpart F (fractionals), but nine of the 12 frost-related accidents the FAA identified were with non-fractional Part 91 operations, so all of us might take note. Previous FAA guidance recommended removing all wing frost prior to takeoff, but allowed it to be polished smooth if the aircraft manufacturer’s recommended procedures were followed. But manufacturers never published standards for polished frost, and the FAA said it has no data to determine how to polish frost to satisfactory smoothness.