Icing Stories

Ice isn’t nice. And this time of year, it’s much easier to find when airborne in most places throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Thankfully, forecasting and reporting technologies have improved over the years to the point where, at least in our experience, it’s rare to find ice where it wasn’t in a forecast. At the same time, even piston singles can be equipped for flight in known icing conditions, albeit briefly. All that is to say icing shouldn’t be the problem it used to be. Unless, of course, you’re off your plan, or the forecasters blow it.

Key Takeaways:

• Icing, whether airborne or on the ground, remains a significant and often unforecast hazard that can rapidly overwhelm aircraft capabilities, even with de-icing equipment.
• Pilots encountering unexpected icing should react immediately by communicating with ATC, declaring emergencies when appropriate, and using all available means (e.g., altitude and heading changes) to exit the hazardous conditions.
• Hazardous ground icing can exist at airports, particularly less-equipped ones, often without adequate NOTAMs, ASOS, or ATC reporting, requiring extreme vigilance and decisive action from pilots upon landing.

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