At 0913 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a hard landing. No one among the Private pilot or the two passengers was injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; the flight originated at the Akron-Fulton Airport (AKR), at 0840. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane picked up real heavy ice, according the to the pilot. The wing, propeller, and windshield deicing systems were activated, but the windshields weeping alcohol system could not keep pace with the ice buildup, and the windshield blurred within seconds. Ice accumulated on the wing deicing boots while they were inflated, and ice shedding from the propellers was heard throughout the flight. The pilot requested and was cleared for an approach back to the departure airport. On short final, the pilot could see the runway out the side window, but aborted the landing. With zero forward visibility, he felt he could not safely complete the landing. The pilot continued to Akron-Canton Regional Airport, and completed the airport surveillance radar (ASR) approach to Runway 19. At 110 knots, and five feet above the runway, the pilot reduced power and the airplane just fell from the sky. The airplane landed hard on all three landing gear simultaneously. The pilot noted to of an inch of ice on the nose and the lifting surfaces of the airplane. Prior to departure, the pilot did not receive a weather briefing from FAA flight service, nor did he check for pilot reports (PIREPS). However, he did receive a briefing the night before the flight.
January 19, 2005, Akron, Ohio / Cessna 414
At 0913 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a hard landing. No one among the Private pilot or the two passengers was injured. Instrument conditions prevailed; the flight originated at the Akron-Fulton Airport (AKR), at 0840. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane picked up real heavy ice, according the to the pilot. The wing, propeller, and windshield deicing systems were activated, but the windshields weeping alcohol system could not keep pace with the ice buildup, and the windshield blurred within seconds. Ice accumulated on the wing deicing boots while they were inflated, and ice shedding from the propellers was heard throughout the flight. The pilot requested...
Key Takeaways:
- An aircraft sustained substantial damage during a hard landing after encountering severe in-flight icing that compromised visibility and aerodynamic performance.
- Despite activating deicing systems, the pilot experienced zero forward visibility, aborting an initial landing attempt before making a hard landing at an alternate airport after the plane "fell from the sky."
- The pilot did not obtain an updated weather briefing or check pilot reports on the day of the flight, potentially contributing to encountering the unexpected heavy icing conditions.
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